Most people who live on the street or who are hooked on drugs need stability and purpose. They don’t need the government telling them what they can and cannot consume.
Recently, a Congresswoman sent a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to encourage them to allow people to use public housing despite their cannabis use — especially in states where use is legal.
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the congresswoman who sent the letter, hopes that this would help people seeking public housing the freedom to consume a legal commodity in their state and still have shelter from the elements. Unfortunately, HUD Sec. Marcia Fudge, a Biden appointee, responded in a letter which Norton released to the public.
Unfortunately for people seeking public housing, it seems that the Biden Administration is going full “Soup Nazi” on the whole cannabis thing, despite them claiming that they are progressively working to reform cannabis laws.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development denies anyone who uses marijuana to live in assisted living facilities, even if it is for medical cannabis.
The HUD referred to the following statute as the reason why they “can’t” comply;
“(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a public housing agency or an owner of federally assisted housing, as determined by the Secretary, shall establish standards that prohibit admission to the program or admission to federally assisted housing for any household with a member—
- who the public housing agency or owner determines is illegally using a controlled substance.”
In other words, because cannabis is a federally prohibited drug, they are not able to do anything about it. They say that unless the law changes, they do not have the “discretion” to admit users of marijuana, including those using it for medical purposes.
Norton expressed her disapproval of this response by saying:
“Americans are continually evolving on the issue of marijuana use, with rapidly increasing in support. This response shows even more why Congress should enact my bill that would permit marijuana use in federally assisted housing in compliance with state law.”
Activists are also disappointed that the federal government is relying on a seven-year old statute that is more of a guidance as opposed to a “rules”. Justin Strekel, the political director of NORML had the following to say on the issue:
“It is a travesty that the Biden administration would prioritize process over people when it comes to a fundamental need such as housing for those who consume cannabis,” Justin Strekal, political director of NORML, told Marijuana Moment. “With millions and millions of registered medical marijuana patients around…
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