29 states have legal pot. Jeff Sessions wants to stamp it out, and he's closer than you think

29 states have legal pot. Jeff Sessions wants to stamp it out, and he's closer than you think

The 85 words almost seemed an afterthought when Congress hurriedly crammed them into a massive budget bill late in the Obama administration, as if lawmakers wanted to acknowledge America’s outlook on marijuana had changed, but not make a big deal of it.

Almost three years later, a multibillion-dollar industry and the freedom of millions to openly partake in its products without fear of federal prosecution hinge on that obscure budget clause.

But now, Congress may throw it overboard amid pressure from an attorney general who views marijuana as a dangerous menace.

First, most Republicans claim to be champion of state rights except when it comes to marijuana. Now that Jeff Sessions is in charge of the justice department, few are standing up to when it comes to states rights for marijuana. It is a blatant hypocrisy.

Sessions also has a vested interest in private prisons, an enterprise that benefits greatly from marijuana prohibition. If this is not a conflict of interest, then I do not know what is.

We have a multi-billion dollar legal industry that is almost exclusively run by small business. This is great for the economy, great for state's tax revenue yet now we have an Attorney General who wants to end this boom and make it criminal again. Prohibition had not worked and will never work. It drives business to the black market where criminals make the money tax free. It crowds our prisons(which is only good for those with vested interests in private prisons) and disproportionately punishes a certain demographic of our population.

Someone needs to remind Mr. Trump that more people have voted for marijuana than him. Having Jeff Sessions going back to total prohibition is a political suicide with the way our population and science views marijuana.

a reply to: jrod

If Kim and Jeff could get their # together they could literally nuke marijuana out of existence.

a reply to: jrod

What I find is interesting,all these posts of Sessions war on MJ,none of them have any fact,he said at the very begging that each state should handle it at a state level,it used to be on ATS that people were banned for hoaxes or false information,seems like it's now getting commonplace,I can make up quotes too,but thats called lying

Fake news. Dope fiends only care if they can get high....a reply to: jrod

a reply to: DonInHtown

They can get high either way. People just have a problem with the government attempting to destroy their lives for doing so.

originally posted by: Oldtimer2
a reply to: jrod

What I find is interesting,all these posts of Sessions war on MJ,none of them have any fact,he said at the very begging that each state should handle it at a state level,it used to be on ATS that people were banned for hoaxes or false information,seems like it's now getting commonplace,I can make up quotes too,but thats called lying

What I find interesting, a poster can litter a reply with run-on sentences and the profligate use of commas and complain about no facts, when in FACT, they don’t even bother to read the sourced material that is full of facts. Do you even deny ignorance or just simply murder the English language. Whichever, it’s fairly impressive, errr, depressing. Just a heads up: a space is required after the use of a comma and those facts your boorishly complaining about are in the sourced material.

"marijuana is a dangerous drug and we must stamp it out"......said while holding a tumbler of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in the other.

You have to wonder...Are they really this stupid or has the Lobbyists not paid them enough.

a reply to: Oldtimer2

The LA Times is known for hoaxes and false information?

Did you read the article?

There was a time on ATS that any mention of marijuana would get a post/thread deleted and repeat offenders were banned.

The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment is set to expire. That was the law that prevented the FEDs from going after states with legal cannabis.

What has become known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment constitutes a single paragraph of federal law. It prohibits the Justice Department from spending even a cent to prosecute medical marijuana users and sellers operating legally under state laws. Since its passage, it has largely shut down efforts by federal prosecutors or drug enforcement officials to interfere with otherwise legal sales of marijuana in 29 states and the District of Columbia that have passed legalization measures.
The prospect that the ban on prosecutions could expire has spread anxiety across the marijuana industry.

Furtheremore Jeff Sessions is pushing for enforcement of federal marijuana laws. This is not made up.

"This would give the attorney general a blank check to go after medical marijuana. Without it, he might try, but it would be really hard for him."
The first big sign of trouble for pro-marijuana advocates came in September, when the House balked at preserving the amendment. GOP leaders refused to allow a vote on it in a committee chaired by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who is no relation to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, but is as fiercely anti-marijuana.
The Senate has already reaffirmed its support for the provision in an affront to its former colleague, the Sessions who runs the Justice Department. But both houses must agree for the measure to remain in effect.

The hedging in the House followed an aggressive lobbying campaign by the attorney general, who complained in writing to lawmakers that the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment was hampering law enforcement and endangering the public.

"The Department must be in a position to use all laws available to combat the transnational drug organizations and dangerous drug traffickers who threaten American lives," Sessions wrote.

If the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment expires it will quietly in hopes the general public will not notice.

One cannot deny Attorney General Jeff Sessions is waging a war on legal marijuana.

a reply to: BeefNoMeat

a reply to: BeefNoMeat

Do you even deny ignorance or just simply murder the English language. Whichever, it’s fairly impressive, errr, depressing. Just a heads up: a space is required after the use of a comma and those facts your boorishly complaining about are in the sourced material.

In your haste to be offensive about grammar and presentation you incorrectly used "your" (pronoun/poss adj) instead of "you're" (contraction of verb to be).

Dayum!

a reply to: jrod

If states can ignore laws on illegal immigration, then I'm not too worried about the feds closing pot shops in states where it is legal.

a reply to: jrod

This administration is doing everything it can to limit freedoms just like many other administrations before it. Sessions is just the tip.

a reply to: Oldtimer2

What I find is interesting,all these posts of Sessions war on MJ,none of them have any fact,

Oh really?

The nation's top law enforcer is continuing to speak out against marijuana legalization.

"I've never felt that we should legalize marijuana," U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Wednesday. "It doesn't strike me that the country would be better if it's being sold on every street corner. We do know that legalization results in greater use."

www.forbes.com...

In a letter he wrote to Congress back in May, which was obtained by the news site MassRoots.com and published on Monday, Sessions requested that congressional leaders help him in his battle with legal cannabis by letting him essentially override state marijuana laws.

www.rollingstone.com...

ongress won’t give Attorney General Jeff Sessions any money to fight a war on state laws to legalize marijuana—at least not in the new budget bill.

A bipartisan group of House Democrats and Republicans agreed Sunday to $1 trillion in government spending to avoid a shutdown and see them through to the end of September.

But while it also gave $1.5 billion more for border security and $12.5 billion for new military spending, there wasn’t any money for Sessions to go after states that have legalized medical marijuana and or where the recreational use of the drug is legal.

www.newsweek.com...

Plenty of evidence out there. But you know this already. It's just a matter of "I see nothing" and repeat it enough times to get people to buy it.

Freedom and liberty right? Unless it applies to others as well?

I wonder where you stood in the 50s, 60s and 70s Oldtimer. Color me curious.

Someone needs to remind Mr. Trump that more people have voted for marijuana than him.

1st - You got that in writing ?
2nd - States are free to have rescinded those laws . Unless it is relevant to Interstate Trade or Federal Taxes. That would be a Federal Government issue.
3rd - The Federal Government can still keep laws against it even if the States rescind it.

See....
It was like that at the very beginning , anyway.

a reply to: jrod

But now, Congress may throw it overboard amid pressure from an attorney general who views marijuana as a dangerous menace.

Lol, the ones viewing weed as 'dangerous' are the Liquor Conglomerates, Consortium, Establishment, what have you.

Anyone got data reflecting the drop in liquor sales since demon weed replaced demon rum?

Of, by and for the corporations.

a reply to: Gothmog

3rd - The Federal Government can still keep laws against it even if the States rescind it.

See....
It was like that at the very beginning , anyway.

No it wasn't. States Autonomy was uppermost. The Fed was to provide for the common defense and coin money. period.

A whole Civil War was fought over that , don't you know.

a reply to: Gothmog

According to Rep Earl Blumenauer more people voted for marijuana than Trump.

Florida is a good example. Trump got 49% of the vote while medical marijuana got 71%. (However efforts for medical marijuana access have been blocked by Florida Republicans in Tallahassee)

"There are dozens of Republicans who realize this is a really bad political move," Blumenauer said, referring to Sessions' effort to block the amendment.

"Marijuana got more votes than Trump. There are millions of Republicans and independents who voted for it. There are 20 million people a month who use it."

a reply to: intrptr

You forgot to mention the private prison industry and the corporations who get rich off prison labor(legal slavery).

a reply to: jrod

You stated that "Sessions also has a vested interest in private prisons".

Could you explain how he has a vested interest. I didn't see that in the article.

Does he have investments in the private prison system? Just looking for some clarity.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Gothmog

3rd - The Federal Government can still keep laws against it even if the States rescind it.

See....
It was like that at the very beginning , anyway.

No it wasn't. States Autonomy was uppermost. The Fed was to provide for the common defense and coin money. period.

A whole Civil War was fought over that , don't you know.

Dont know much about the US Federal Government , do you ?
The Federal Government has control over Interstate Trade and Federal Taxes
Go get informed.
And while you are at it , research a bit on the history of the legalization in California and Colorado
Then , if you want , come back and debate

originally posted by: jrod
a reply to: Gothmog

According to Rep Earl Blumenauer more people voted for marijuana than Trump.

Florida is a good example. Trump got 49% of the vote while medical marijuana got 71%. (However efforts for medical marijuana access have been blocked by Florida Republicans in Tallahassee)

"There are dozens of Republicans who realize this is a really bad political move," Blumenauer said, referring to Sessions' effort to block the amendment.

"Marijuana got more votes than Trump. There are millions of Republicans and independents who voted for it. There are 20 million people a month who use it."

Republicans do block it. Never said they dont. I have a personal reason to keep up with that one.