Washington, DC: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) have reintroduced legislation, the Marijuana in Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act, permitting residents in federally assisted housing to consume cannabis products in compliance with their state’s marijuana laws.
Federal law currently allows the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to remove residents from public housing and Section 8 housing if a tenant has engaged in the use of a controlled substance while on the premises, “including [the use of] state legalized medical marijuana.”
Speaking in support of the legislation, Congresswoman Holmes Norton said: “Individuals living in federally funded housing should not fear eviction simply for treating their medical conditions or for seeking a substance legal in their state. Increasingly, Americans are changing their views on marijuana, and it is time that Congress caught up with its own constituents. With so many states improving their laws, this issue should have broad bipartisan appeal because it protects states’ rights.”
NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox, who is working with lawmakers to promote the bill, added, “At a time when affording a home or rent is becoming significantly more difficult and states are increasingly criminalizing being unhoused, it is outrageous to deny people access to public housing for responsibly using a substance that is legal in some form in most of the country. This outdated federal policy is particularly cruel when applied to medical cannabis patients, who are often forced to choose between their health and basic shelter. NORML is proud to endorse this legislation to stop housing discrimination against vulnerable Americans who consume cannabis in compliance with state laws.”
For more information on pending federal marijuana legislation, visit NORML’s Take Action Center.