Supporters of marijuana legalization should be sort of happy with Congress right now.
An amendment in a $1.9 trillion government spending bill would keep the federal government from spending money to stop legal pot distribution in individual states.
And considering 23 states and Washington D.C. have legalized marijuana in some way, proponents are pleased.
Rep. Sam Farr, one of the amendment's co-authors, has made it more about medical rather than recreational marijuana. He said, "This amendment protects patients while the federal government catches up with the views of the American people."
He's definitely right about catching up. Since 1969, support for marijuana legalization has grown from 12 percent to 53 percent.
But before anyone throws a pot party, two other amendments failed to make the cut. The first would have allowed doctors at the VA to suggest veterans use medicinal marijuana to help with ailments.
The second is a battle pot stores have been fighting for years. It would have protected banks from prosecution if they allowed legal marijuana distributors to bank with them. That means banks run the risk of losing their FDIC insurance if they partner with pot stores. (Video via KOAA)
The bill still needs to be passed by the Senate before it heads to President Obama's desk.
This video includes images from Getty Images.
