Many in the cannabis community are worried about what is going to happen if Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions becomes the next Attorney General of the United States. When asked about marijuana at his confirmation hearing, Sessions was generally vague with his answers.
Sessions recently provided written responses to questions some Senators had about cannabis, which was a good opportunity for him to be less vague and more forthcoming about what the Trump Administration’s approach to marijuana is going to be. He did not take advantage of that opportunity.
“While I am generally familiar with the Cole memorandum, I am not privy to any internal Department of Justice data regarding the effectiveness and value of the policies contained within that memorandum… I will certainly review and evaluate those policies, including the original justifications for the memorandum, as well as any relevant data and how circumstances may have changed or how they may change in the future,” Sessions wrote. Translation: I’m going to do what I feel like doing and I’ll let you know what that is when I decide to do it.
To be fair, Sessions doesn’t even have the job yet, so it might be prudent for him to review how the previous Justice Department handled the issue. But it’s disconcerting to many – those who had hoped that Trump’s repeated pronouncements about letting states decide their own marijuana policy would hold sway – that Sessions is deliberately leaving the door open for a crackdown.
“I will not commit to never enforcing Federal law,” Sessions reiterated. “Whether an arrest and investigation of an individual who may be violating the law is appropriate is a determination made in individual cases based on the sometimes unique circumstances surrounding those cases, as well as the resources available at the time.”
A true politician’s answer, leaving the door open for any path he might take toward the legal marijuana industry in the future. I suppose that should be what to expect in this situation and the alternative could be worse: he could come right out and say he will destroy the cannabis industry. But not knowing does little to relieve those with anxiety.
“I echo Attorney General Lynch’s comments [on marijuana being illegal], and commit, as she did, to enforcing federal law with respect to marijuana, although the exact balance of enforcement priorities is an ever-changing determination based on the circumstances and the resources available at the time.” When it comes to Sessions’ policy on marijuana, I think “ever-changing determination” is as apt a phrase as any to describe it …for now.
Jeff Sessions is out of touch w 21st century. He’s too Prohibition & nothing will open his mind. He’s a old Straight Inc proponent of Mel Sembler & Miller Newton. I’m a survivor of Straight ’81 after 10 months of kid on kid peer pressure to extreme. I’d like my records but a “fire” supposedly lost them. The war on drugs was a waste of billions of dollars but the teenagers life is ruined from then on. Ugh ?
The cannabis community needs to stop sh*tting its pants, and start working on how to navigate the next four years. Work on contingency plans. Form associations. Get active.
Is Sessions really going to take on – what is it now? – 29 states, some of them so-called red states? All while the Republican run government lowers taxes (e.g. operates at a massive deficit, while alienating its creditors), ramps up immigration crack downs, and his boss picks trade wars and wants massive infrastructure spending? It’s dubious. Resources and man power are stretched thin, and the DEA has an opioid and heroin epidemic to contend with. Marijuana polls far higher than Congress does, across the board. Jeff Sessions might not like it, but prosecutorial discretion does apply, as it does to all laws, and of course politics and future elections matter.
Also, his boss has been backing up his campaign rhetoric with action, “I’m fulfilling my campaign promises.” Well, he and members of his staff have repeatedly said that Trump doesn’t plan to go after cannabis, and that it should be left up to the states. Since he is a man of word, let’s expect him to remind Sessions of that.
I’ll also add that Trump was elected on a jobs and economic platform, more than anything. Going after cannabis would kill a lot of American jobs, businesses, and investment. If Trump and his admin are true to their word regarding national economic interests, then attempting to eliminate an emerging and U.S. based legal cannabis industry worth many billions is counter-productive to their goals.
Jeff Sessions is a typical lawyer/politician and not to be trusted or respected. While I hope he does enforce federal law fairly and wisely, with deference towards states laws where marijuana is concerned , I rather doubt it! Neither do I like anti Christian bigots like some of the writers for this website! “Stoner Jesus” is akin to publishing drooling handicapped persons as disgusting cripples, Mohammed as a drunken warrior or women as only sex objects! Bigots and haters are found every where and insensitive Christian haters should not be given a platform along with serious law reformation, such as ending the prohibition against Cannabis! Maybe it would be appropriate in some gutter level back room comedy routine to offend millions because of their religious beliefs, because you can get away with it! Maybe you should also ,for fairness, have Mohammed the Great warrior character representing your take on Islam and how Mohammed may of talked when high on pot! Or how about “Pimp Daddy” Martin Luther King getting high routine, that could be hilarious!? I suggest a Susan B. Anthony as a Whore house Madam, with a routine talking about freedom for the sex traffickers who smoke pot! I am sure you will be successful at driving away tens of thousands of possible supporters! You might even get some death threats from those groups! Bigotry and Hate should not have a place in the Legalization Movement! Throw out this type of hate speech and bigotry and silence these bigots in the Cannabis legalization movement! Why do you think it appropriate to mock Jesus or support bigots that do? I am considering withdrawing my support of this hate spouting organization and would rather die in prison for violating Cannabis laws than associate with little people who are supporters of Christian hating bigots! I will continue to push for Marijuana legalization but I also will condemn bigots and haters, who mock or spout trash about God whenever they sense weakness and opportunity in the believers! Because Christians don’t declare Jihad because of speech, doesn’t make them fair game for chicken shit haters! I won’t threaten you with death or declare you to be condemned to hell! I will just never give a penny to your group and denounce you for the hypocrisy you reveal! Is this the way to achieve legalization as fast as possible? Absolutely not! Sad You people are not with us folks who really are focused on legalization of marijuana and not trying to inject religion or political affiliation into the agenda along with our common cause for Cannabis freedom! Maybe you should remember that we all are fighting the unjust laws against marijuana but we come from different religions, races, sex, and political party affiliations (or lack thereof). Dividing our base by injecting hate, mocking religions or trashing persons who are not in our political party is not the smartest way to swiftly achieve our common cause! I expect you to silence the people (Stoner Jesus to start) who are injecting this rhetoric in your platform or risk slowing or derailing legalization by loosing active support from me and more importantly, millions who otherwise could sympathize with our freedom movement.