Marijuana Policy Project

On Thursday, the House voted not to reauthorize a controversial marijuana statute known as the Barr Amendment — and no one is happier about this than the bill’s namesake and sponsor, former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.).

Since its first passing in 1999, the Barr Amendment has effectively prevented any type of medical marijuana initiative from receiving legal consideration in the District of Columbia. It also prohibited any relaxation in penalties for marijuana-related offenses.

Parts of the legislation were struck down in 2002, but even in a slightly watered-down format, it has remained the most influential marijuana statute in the nation’s capital for a decade.

The exclusion of the Barr Amendment comes amid a broader shift in administration policy toward marijuana, one that Barr wholeheartedly supports. The Georgia native reversed his position on drug legalization prior to his 2008 campaign for president, when he ran as the Libertarian Party candidate.

Barr praised the move in a statement released Monday and offered support for additional administration efforts. "I have applauded the indications by Attorney General Eric Holder to begin easing federal efforts against individuals in states that have moved to decriminalize or legalize the use of marijuana, and the fresh approach to the federal anti-drug effort as articulated earlier this year by Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (the so-called 'Drug Czar')."

The Barr Amendment still needs to be removed from the Senate version of the spending bill, but according to Bill Piper of the Drug Policy Alliance, "There’s a strong chance that conferees will keep the Barr Amendment out of the final FY10 Financial Services bill. The Senate may leave it in, but the conferees can keep the ban out of the final bill."