Jeff Sessions Coming War on Legal Marijuana

[workinclasszero]

Jeff Sessions’ Coming War on Legal Marijuana
There’s little to stop the attorney general nominee from ignoring the will of millions of pro-pot voters.
By JAMES HIGDON December 05, 2016

By nominating Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III for attorney general, President-elect Donald J. Trump is about to put into the nation’s top law enforcement job a man with a long and antagonistic attitude toward marijuana. As a U.S. Attorney in Alabama in the 1980s, Sessions said he thought the KKK "were OK until I found out they smoked pot.”

In April, he said, “Good people don't smoke marijuana,” and that it was a "very real danger" that is “not the kind of thing that ought to be legalized.” Sessions, who turns 70 on Christmas Eve, has called marijuana reform a "tragic mistake" and criticized FBI Director James Comey and Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch for not vigorously enforcing a the federal prohibition that President Obama has called “untenable over the long term.”

In a floor speech earlier this year, Senator Sessions said: "You can’t have the President of the United States of America talking about marijuana like it is no different than taking a drink… It is different….It is already causing a disturbance in the states that have made it legal.”

With little more than the stroke of his own pen, the new attorney general will be able to arrest growers, retailers and users, defying the will of more than half the nation’s voters, including those in his own state who approved the use of CBD. Aggressive enforcement could cause chaos in a $6.7 billion industry that is already attracting major investment from Wall Street hedge funds and expected to hit $21.8 billion by 2020.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/jeff-sessions-coming-war-on-legal-marijuana-214501

[NightWatcher]

1. States Rights!

[workinclasszero]

3. What a great way for the republicans to make war on blues states huh?

I live in an ass backwards red state and we couldn't even get medical MJ on the ballot in the presidential election.

[Eleanors38]

27. They have made war this way for over 40 years.

John Erlichman, chief advisor to Nixon, saw hippies and blacks as their chief enemy, and the WOD as they way to break them up.

"We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and villify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about drugs? Of course we did."

And it worked. The WOD was the most successful government-sponsored social program in the last 40 years, performing as designed: The hippie "movement" was identified with Democrats, causing many Dems to turn their backs on left-of-center activism; and blacks were imprisoned in vast quanties. And all the while, Democratic "leadership" (including Hil!ary) and leaders in black communities mumbled support for the WOD. Now, with the Democrats in disarray, with only enough juice to fight their liberal cohorts, you can expect the GOPers to recharge this culture war, and leave Democratic "leadership" in compliance as they make a stand in their own dirty yellow water.

[TeamPooka]

13. States rights only count for Republicans and abortion. #GOPrules

[MurrayDelph]

16. and for

disenfranchising "negroes"

[shenmue]

2. Er no

[SamKnause]

4. Frauds, cons, and liars.

D.C. is overflowing with them.

Cannabis should have never been outlawed.

D.C. thrives on corruption and lies !!!!!!!!!!!

It is a travesty against the American people that this

fraud continues in the year 2016.

The entire government of this country is anti-science.

Portugal has the answer.

They been in touch with our government.

They were ignored.

We love incarcerating our citizens.

It is a real money maker.

I am so sick of this shit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[workinclasszero]

7. Session's needs to keep all those private prisons run by his republican buddies

filled up to max right?

Get ready Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, the DEA is on the way!

[TeamPooka]

14. Time to stock up at the dispensary. "I'd like 4 years worth of cannabis please." nt

[workinclasszero]

17. I guess so

[HassleCat]

5. Know your audience, Jeff.

Many Trump voters like their hemp. Could be some backlash.

[Rex]

6. It has caused a disturbance? Like billions in tax revenue?

Shut the fuck up Jeff Sessions, you are a miserable sack of crap that will make innocent people suffer for your mental deficiencies.

[safeinOhio]

8. Would someone please

Slip a brownie in his lunch pail.

[arithia]

9. lol @ "Good people don't smoke marijuana"

Good people don't generalize millions of people they don't know for the purpose of dismissing them via logical fallacy.

Good people don't sing the praises of hate groups like the KKK.

Nixon used the drug war as a cover to crack down on political dissent. I suspect a Trump administration will be no different.

[argyl]

10. I've seen nice people become raging monsters while drunk.

Nice people smoking reefer may clean my fridge out of ice cream.

[Thrill]

11. Elections have consequences

If you like smoking weed then
You shouldn't have set your ass at home and not voted. Or be one of the idiots that left the Presidential pick blank.

People never learn, Elections have consequences.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Or maybe Debbie Wasserman Schultz, as the public face of the DNC, shouldnt have spent the past 3 yrs

Advocating against a law that over 70% of Florida voted for, when Hillary only won about 46% of that state.

[Calculating]

20. Interesting that you mention her

I recall reading about how she had a bunch of alcohol companies giving her funds. Hillary's vp pick was also extremely anti cannabis.
http://marijuanapolitics.com/tim-kaine-marijuana-pain-hillarys-prohibitionist-vp-pick/
Tim Kaine’s regressive and repressive views and votes on marijuana recently earned him into a “hall of shame” over at StopTheDrugWar.com. Just last month, they consolidated NORML’s congressional scorecard, and displayed the names of 26 current US senators to whom they have given an “F” rating on marijuana prohibition. Unsurprisingly, only four were Democrats; unfortunately, one of those four prohibitionists is Tim Kaine. He recently said:

I wouldn’t vote for a law at the federal or state level that would decriminalize marijuana.

There really weren't any good legalization picks other than Bernie.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Yeah, our party at the national level hasn't exactly led on this issue.

Part of the problem is, the self-assured East Coast/beltway conventional wisdom crowd; (the same gang that thought Hillary had a 99.999999% chance of winning, so why bother to, say, visit Wisconsin) still treats marijuana legalization like a stoner joke.

We need more leadership from the West Coast, AFAIC, where people understand that this is a real issue, and one that is supported by a majority of Americans.

What's also funny is these sorts of "elections have consequences" comments, like the one upthread. Aside from the dripping condescension (like the ever-present stoner jokes) it assumes that marijuana legalization supporters didn't get out and vote. When, in actuality, support for cannabis law reform is one of the only things that came away from election day with a clear and decisive majority mandate.

[Eleanors38]

28. The Beltway Democrats have been cowed into supporting the WOD. Any questions? Class dissed.nt

[jmowreader]

31. Cartman, what the hell are you talking about?

There are seven states that either had legal recreational cannabis before 2016, or passed it into law in November. Those states are:

Washington
Oregon
California
Nevada
Colorado
Maine
Massachusetts

All seven states broke for Hillary in 2016. They knew what was at stake.

[TeamPooka]

12. Sessions also thinks interracial marriage is a "tragic mistake"

[Calculating]

18. Nobody knows what will happen

Trump said he will respect state rights on the issue. Whether he controls this Sessions moron is to be determined. It would certainly be a political mistake to try a crackdown at this point. The majority voted for these state laws and a crackdown would just make the Trump administration look like a bunch of flaming hypocrites. It's also a big business which is bringing in lots of jobs/money and #MAGA! Seems like Trump would like that sort of thing.

[workinclasszero]

22. "Trump said he will respect state rights on the issue."

So why would he appoint a anti-Pot warrior like Sessions???

[RonniePudding]

32. To deal with the "blacks"

[hollowdweller]

19. Trump wont let him do it.

Trump wants the votes and people to like him. Busting the legal pot market would be a HUGE PR mistake.

Dems should introduce a legalization bill and let the GOP vote it down if they are smart.

[workinclasszero]

23. "Dems should introduce a legalization bill and let the GOP vote it down if they are smart."

I totally agree with that.

[marlakay]

37. They would never let it get up for a vote

A bunch of stuff gets blocked that way, if every bill we liked got a vote they know the people could actually voice their wants and force it to go their way.

[Grey Lemercier]

24. If you are in a state where it is currently legal, you best enjoy it whilst it lasts

because the hammer is coming down like a motherfucking sledge. This was actually my first prediction within minutes of Shitgibbon being declared the winner.

[workinclasszero]

25. Yes this will be like the Dreamers who gave all their info to the government, when Dumpf takes over

The government also has all the names and addresses of the growers and sellers and customers in states with state legal MJ laws.

It still is illegal federally and now the fascists have all the info in their hot little hands.

[Grey Lemercier]

26. Or these people signing this insane no tax pledge.

If Ginsburg and Breyer are replaced by RWers, we lose the POTUS again and do shite at state legislature level in the 2020 (thus ensuring Rethug further redistricting and thus a RW House until 2032 at the earliest) people have little clue how fucked up life in the US is going to be for decades.

[Eleanors38]

29. You may be right, but don't expect Beltway Democrats to change a bit.

[workinclasszero]

30. People have no idea

of the shitstorm that is going to overtake this country next Jan 20th.

Democracy is an inch from being snuffed out in the USA and we are all marching blindly into a brave new world, IMO.

[RonniePudding]

33. Meh

The article is overwrought. Much more complicated than the author makes it sound. My guess is their strategy will be more along the lines of harassment. But predictions are a dime a dozen these days, including yours.

[Grey Lemercier]

38. we shall see, I unfortunately think I am closer to the outcome than you

check back in a year?

[Calculating]

44. I doubt it

It would literally be a lose/lose and probably make Trump lose the WH in 2020.

[Grey Lemercier]

45. Glad I have no dog in that fight, we dont smoke weed, don't live in the states

and have no investments in the business. I still say the hammer is coming down, too much cash at stake. We shall see. The USA war on drugs is multi-decade insanity.

[DemocraticSocialist8]

34. IMHO, I don't see how the Trump White House wins by going after Pot

It's not 1980 anymore and people don't think pot is dangerous like they used to. Problematic for some, definitely...but worthy of a prison sentence? More and more people across political lines don't believe so. I just don't see where they gain from going after pot. It literally only benefits law enforcement, the drug companies and alcohol companies...the latter 2 see MJ as competition. The former well let's be honest...just want to be dicks and control freaks. I think even Trump's most ardent of supporters will find it hard to spin this one.

[workinclasszero]

36. Don't forget all the privately owned prisons

Most run by good little republicans.

They want to keep those jail cells filled up with harmless stoners....PROFIT!

[DemocraticSocialist8]

40. Of course...how could I forget that. The prison lobby plays a HUGE role

[spanone]

35. fuck that little racist bigot

the backlash should be interesting

[roamer65]

39. I can see this becoming the reason for secession. N/t

[workinclasszero]

41. And where is the libertarian outrage on this issue?

[roamer65]

43. Yeah...where's Gary Johnson on it?

Haven't heard peep from him after nov 8.

[workinclasszero]

46. Good question

[cilla4progress]

42. I will continue my LEGAL use of MJ in

my sane state of Washington and will happily exhale in this mofo's face!