Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment

Also known as Rohrabacher-Blumenauer and, in the 119th Congress, as the Joyce-Blumenauer or simply Joyce Amendment, this is an appropriations rider first enacted in the FY2015 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill (December 2014) that prohibits the DOJ from using appropriated funds to prevent states from implementing their own medical cannabis laws. The rider must be renewed each fiscal year. The Ninth Circuit construed it in United States v. McIntosh, 833 F.3d 1163 (9th Cir. 2016), to bar federal prosecution of individuals who strictly comply with state medical cannabis laws. Named originally for Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Sam Farr (D-CA), the amendment's lead sponsor is now Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) following Rep. Earl Blumenauer's retirement at the end of the 118th Congress. As of April 2026, the amendment has been temporarily extended through continuing resolutions during ongoing FY2026 CJS appropriations negotiations. President Trump's FY2026 budget proposal omitted the protection — breaking precedent — and a July 2025 House subcommittee draft added a controversial carve-out allowing DOJ enforcement in "drug-free zones" within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds, and public-housing authority properties. A separate rider (Sec. 623) that would have blocked DOJ funds for rescheduling was removed from the enacted FY2026 package. The amendment protects only medical, not adult-use, activity; parallel protection for VA physicians recommending cannabis was again excluded. *→ See also: Cole Memo, DOJ, Medical cannabis