By Matt Ferner

Two congressmen behind a federal provision protecting state-legal medical marijuana operations are seeking an investigation into the Department of Justice’s continued crackdown on medical marijuana patients and providers, saying the DOJ may be in violation of federal law.

“We request that you immediately investigate the Department’s expenditure of funds to continue prosecuting these cases, which we believe are in direct violation of the prohibition on such expenditures established by Rohrabacher-Farr,” reads the letter, addressed to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz from Reps. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.). 

Rohrabacher and Farr’s amendment, which blocks the Justice Department from using funds to undermine state-legal medical marijuana programs, found support in Congress and ultimately made it into the final federal spending bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in December. As the marijuana provision is part of an annual funding bill that will expire, the lawmakers introduced an identical version again in June, which was reauthorized by the House of Representatives. 

Despite last year’s provision becoming law, “the Department has continued to pursue and prosecute individuals and businesses for involvement with medical marijuana in states where it is legal despite the clear direction in the law to forswear such activities,” the lawmakers wrote Thursday.

DOJ spokesman Patrick Rodenbush laid out the department’s justification for doing so earlier this year, telling the Los Angeles Times that the marijuana protections only stop the department from “impeding the ability of states to carry out their medical marijuana laws,” and that the DOJ didn’t “expect that the amendment will impact our ability to prosecute private individuals or private entities who are violating the Controlled Substances Act.” 

But in Thursday’s letter, the congressmen blast Rodenbush’s position on the matter.

“Mr. Rodenbush’s interpretation is clearly a stretch,” the letter reads. “The implementation of state …read more

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