Will The DOJ’s New Marijuana Task Force Kill Legal Weed?

One of the primary reasons there has not been much talk, as of late, about a crackdown on statewide marijuana legalization is U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is still waiting for a marijuana task force to submit a review of federal marijuana policy.

A recent report from U.S. News indicates that the Department of Justice seems to be hell bent on keeping the marijuana review a secret, perhaps suggesting there is plenty of cause for concern within the cannabis community. In fact, when Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of California, a member of the newly formed Cannabis Caucus, reached out to Sessions recently to discuss the issue of marijuana legalization, he refused to speak with the lawmaker at any level.

Link

As some of you may know, I work in the cannabis industry, so I'm always keeping track of developments regarding drug war dinosaur Jeff Sessions and his ignorant views on well, just about everything. Sessions, along with Steve Bannon is one of the biggest reasons I could never support this administration.

While some of you may be convinced Session's isn't going to touch recreational or medical cannabis, I don't share your optimism. After all, this is the same man who pushed for the death penalty for drug dealers, cannabis dealers included..

In 1996, when serving as Alabama’s attorney general, he promoted H.B. 242, S.B. 291, a state bill to establish mandatory death sentences for a second drug trafficking conviction, including for dealing marijuana. His support for the bill was reported at the time by several local newspapers, as well as The Alabama Lawyer, the Alabama State Bar’s official publication. The Alabama Lawyer described the bill as part of a legislative package that Sessions and then-Governor Fob James proposed to “fix a broken system.”

Link

Given his previous comments about what he thinks of people who use cannabis, I can't say I have a lot of optimism for any positive changes regarding the Comey memo.

If you believe there aren't going to be any changes, I'd like to know why. It doesn't look too good from where I'm sitting..

Whichever way it goes, it seems we'll know for sure by July 27.

Attorney General Sessions task force will submit its recomendations by July 27.

Hopefully money speaks louder than old shrivs.

a reply to: underwerks

They are chickens, thats right, chicken! they are afraid that the populus will get some boosters on their wetware, and out think you smelly old lizards! Be very afraid...

a reply to: underwerks

If you believe there aren't going to be any changes, I'd like to know why. It doesn't look too good from where I'm sitting..

Money!

originally posted by: thesaneone
a reply to: underwerks

If you believe there aren't going to be any changes, I'd like to know why. It doesn't look too good from where I'm sitting..

Money!

Considering Sessions has a stake in the private prison industry, I don't think you're far off the mark.

The Trump administration has abandoned the Obama administration's promise to no longer contract with private prisons. Private prison companies like The GEO Group and CoreCivic Inc. lead the industry and have contracts with the federal government and specifically the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

As Attorney General Sessions fills these private prisons, he is making money. According to his latest financial disclosures required by congress, dated December 23, 2016, he divested of other investments that were found to be in conflict. In these disclosures, he also lists numerous Vanguard funds. Vanguard owns more private prison stock than any other investment management company. None of the Vanguard funds listed below were included in the divestiture.

Link

Money. Completely.

If there's anything to the following, there's some issues between Trump and Sessions.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions offered to resign at one point in recent months after his relationship with President Donald Trump grew increasingly tense, according to two people close to the White House.

Source
I'd assume less of a chance of negatives towards legalization that if Sessions resigns. At least I hope so though he could have this all tied up. Then there's the chance of someone more against legal cannabis stepping in.

If Jeff Sessions resigns will this be an issue?

There was some buzz on here the other day about the possibility of his resignation.

I would breath a sigh of relief if he quit.

originally posted by: dreamingawake
If there's anything to the following, there's some issues between Trump and Sessions.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions offered to resign at one point in recent months after his relationship with President Donald Trump grew increasingly tense, according to two people close to the White House.

Source
I'd assume less of a chance of negatives towards legalization that if Sessions resigns. At least I hope so though he could have this all tied up. Then there's the chance of someone more against legal cannabis stepping in.

One can hope. Getting rid of Session's would probably be the first thing I'd agree with that this administration has done..

a reply to: underwerks

I think you know what I was talking about, worst case scenario is the don't give them federal funding, with the taxes the states collect from MJ sales, I don't think they would care.

originally posted by: Butterfinger
Hopefully money speaks louder than old shrivs.

Depends if the money is private prison money or tax revenue money...

a reply to: underwerks

As a Trump defender, I don't agree with his stance on weed.

See it's not hard

It's about to be legal here in Toronto.

Which is great because I'm a regular.

originally posted by: thesaneone
a reply to: underwerks

I think you know what I was talking about, worst case scenario is the don't give them federal funding, with the taxes the states collect from MJ sales, I don't think they would care.

I hope you're right. Most of the states where cannabis is legal now actually pay into the federal government more than they receive, so that kind of sounds like an empty threat by the administration.

a reply to: underwerks

They would need a task force with as many people as are living in China to actually stop it. Good luck buttercups

originally posted by: underwerks
If you believe there aren't going to be any changes, I'd like to know why. It doesn't look too good from where I'm sitting..

I understand your concerns, I have them myself. In the end, though, I know there is one thing that will "trump" all of this, and it's like others have said.......money.

There's always going to be a constant back and forth when it comes to state rights versus federal rights. The states that have legalized this have a taste for the money. They will not let it go. If nothing else, I can see this as a states giving the feds one big, giant middle finger. If federal agents raid state legal businesses, I can see the states suing the federal government for over-stepping boundaries.

It'll be a big, ugly mess, but I highly doubt the states that have legalized it will just let the feds tell them how to be. Keep in mind the states did all of this while the feds didn't want them to anyway. I don't know exactly how it'll turn out in the end, but I'm not too worried.

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: underwerks

They would need a task force with as many people as are living in China to actually stop it. Good luck buttercups

All they'd really have to do is announce that the Comey memo is invalid, raid a couple of dispensaries, and most of the rest would close their doors just to be safe.

That's what happened back around 2009, when Obama gave the go ahead for the Feds to raid medical dispensaries in Los Angeles where I was living at the time.

originally posted by: Necrobile

originally posted by: underwerks
If you believe there aren't going to be any changes, I'd like to know why. It doesn't look too good from where I'm sitting..

I understand your concerns, I have them myself. In the end, though, I know there is one thing that will "trump" all of this, and it's like others have said.......money.

There's always going to be a constant back and forth when it comes to state rights versus federal rights. The states that have legalized this have a taste for the money. They will not let it go. If nothing else, I can see this as a states giving the feds one big, giant middle finger. If federal agents raid state legal businesses, I can see the states suing the federal government for over-stepping boundaries.

It'll be a big, ugly mess, but I highly doubt the states that have legalized it will just let the feds tell them how to be. Keep in mind the states did all of this while the feds didn't want them to anyway. I don't know exactly how it'll turn out in the end, but I'm not too worried.

That's the thing that gets me though, all these politicians like Sessions are being paid very well by lobbyists from multiple industries to keep cannabis illegal.

Will they forego their own money for the federal government to rake in a little more?

I don't see that happening.

Only if they have roundup -

But that would imply the government is in bed with Monsanto.....

Oh sh#t.......

a reply to: underwerks

Didn't the DoJ budget that Congress signed off on give Sessions zero money to target medical and state weed issues? Or did that end up changing?

I ask because it seems to me that, if that's the case, it doesn't really matter what the task force has to say about it.

If I'm mistaken, though, by all means clue me in.

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: underwerks

Didn't the DoJ budget that Congress signed off on give Sessions zero money to target medical and state weed issues? Or did that end up changing?

I ask because it seems to me that, if that's the case, it doesn't really matter what the task force has to say about it.

If I'm mistaken, though, by all means clue me in.

That's true I think. Then again, I'm not sure if you'd even need an increased budget to go after the cannabis markets in this country.

The easiest and most cost effective way would be to just issue a statement, then raid a few of the larger dispensaries. After that, most of the other will close their doors out of fear of arrest and having money confiscated.

I hope the budget is an indication of nothing happening though.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: underwerks

As a Trump defender, I don't agree with his stance on weed.

See it's not hard

It's about to be legal here in Toronto.

Which is great because I'm a regular.

This is Trump's stated stance.

TRUE: During campaign, Trump pledged to leave marijuana legalization up to states
www.politifact.com...

Which part do you disagree with?