U.S. House of Reps Approves (219-189) Amendment -- Advanced by Cong. Dana Rohrabacher (R, HB) -- Preventing DEA From Spending Funds To Prevent States -- Including CA -- From Implementing Their State Laws Allowing Use, Distribution, Possession Or Cultivation Of Medical Marijuana

(May 30, 2014, 12:40 a.m..) -- Late Thursday night (May 29), the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve an amendment to a funding bill -- advanced by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R., HB) and joined by a bipartisan group of House members -- that would prevent the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from expending federal funds to prevent various states -- including California -- "from implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of medical marijuana."

The 219-189 vote to approve the amendment included "yes" votes by Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D., LB-north OC) and Congresswoman Janice Hahn (D., southern Los Angeles.)

To view the full vote tally, click here.

The exact text of the amendment to HR 4660 (appropriations for Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for FY15):

Amendment No. 25: At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Justice may be used, with respect to the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, to prevent such States from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.

The measure now faces an uncertain future in the Senate, which may or may not include the same provision in its version of the DEA funding measure. The Senate version of the funding bill would go to a House-Senate conference committee where the medical marijuana DEA funding proviso may or may not be included in the final funding bill brought to the House and Senate for enactment.

Buzzfeed.com (click here) has coverage of last night's House action.

Developing...with further as it happens on LBREPORT.com.