Lawmakers brace for marijuana vote-a-rama

Marijuana supporters are expecting to see several new marijuana bills to be introduced this week including the annual renewal of the Justice Department's spending bill which would prohibit them from using federal funds to interfere with state legalized marijuana. Additions to the spending bill this year includes protecting recreational marijuana laws and not just medical marijuana. One bill also includes the protection of farmers growing hemp, which although illegal and related to marijuana, has no psychoative "high" effects.

"This amendment will not only protect critically ill medical marijuana patients from federal prosecution but, unlike previous versions, will also apply to adult [recreational] use of marijuana in states where it is legal, like Colorado and Washington,” wrote Dan Riffle, director of federal policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, in an email to supporters asking them to lobby their congressmen on the issue.