Trump's DOJ gears up for crackdown on marijuana

The Hill ^ | 07/23/17 | By Lydia Wheeler

[Mariner]

The Trump administration is readying for a crackdown on marijuana users under Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

President Trump’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, led by Sessions, is expected to release a report next week that criminal justice reform advocates fear will link marijuana to violent crime and recommend tougher sentences for those caught growing, selling and smoking the plant.

Sessions sent a memo in April updating the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department of Justice Department (DOJ) component heads on the work of the task force, which he said would be accomplished through various subcommittees. In the memo, Sessions said he has asked for initial recommendations no later than July 27.

“Task Force subcommittees will also undertake a review of existing policies in the areas of charging, sentencing, and marijuana to ensure consistency with the Department's overall strategy on reducing violent crime and with Administration goals and priorities,” he wrote.

Criminal justice reform advocates fear Sessions’s memo signals stricter enforcement is ahead.

“The task force revolves around reducing violent crime and Sessions and other DOJ officials have been out there over the last month and explicitly the last couple of weeks talking about how immigration and marijuana increases violent crime,” said Inimai Chettiar, director of the Brennan Center's Justice Program.

[txhurl]

Art of War deception does not include alienating millions of voters who are otherwise OK with POTUS’ trajectory.

[Wallace T.]

Interesting information, thanks.

[philman_36]

I may be misinformed but the stats that have been published lately on arrests, deportations and fewer border crossings are what I was going by.

Criminal illegal aliens are the problem, not the non criminal illegal aliens. And the border crossings are down because the "good people from Central America" that are coming here "for personal reasons" believe they will be captured and deported on entry now.

I would stay away too.

And the criminal illegal alien angle ties in perfectly with this crackdown on marijuana. It's been known for years that marijuana is the money maker that makes moving other drugs profitable. Legalization, or decriminalization, would cut the money flow.

Can you say "asset forfeiture" boys and girls? (which will also impact Americans, not just the foreign cartels/kingpins it was meant to impact)

[gundog]

Look how fast the stoner liberal fake conservatives turn on Sessions.

10th Amendment much?

[philman_36]

Interesting information, thanks.

My pleasure.

[TigersEye]

And the criminal illegal alien angle ties in perfectly with this crackdown on marijuana.

It doesn't tie in well with the crackdown on states decriminalizing it. As you say "Legalization, or decriminalization, would cut the money flow." As for asset forfeitures, Sessions' reforms seem to me to be restrictions on their implementation not a loosening of their use.

[Parmy]

I know that you are trying to justify legalization of marijuana.

I harken back to my days in Vietnam where marijuana was prevalent and sold of $5 a sandwich bag.

When I was assigned a bunker at night and I knew that one of these heads was also there I told them to lay off the dope and to not fall asleep.

They had a tendency to do that. I also told that If there were trouble because they fell asleep, I would deal with them in the most sever way. If you get my meaning?

[philman_36]

The decision on DACA is going to weigh heavily on the POTUS.

Trump May End Up Killing DACA After All
The admission was a significant change in tone for the administration. While Trump promised DACA’s swift demise on the campaign trail, after the election he quickly backtracked. So-called dreamers should “rest easy,” Trump told The Associated Press in April, indicating he would not target them for deportation.

Want to play again for double or nothing?

[philman_36]

As for asset forfeitures, Sessions' reforms seem to me to be restrictions on their implementation not a loosening of their use.

Such laws were restrictive when first drafted too.
We see where we are now with them as well. The restrictions didn't last.

[gundog]

Can states openly legalize marijuana in violation of federal law?

Did the Feds openly violate the 10th Amendment when they made weed illegal?

[TianaHighrider]

And yes, it is alienating millions of his voters. The fact they are making going this a PRIORITY, as if we have no real concerns is crazy.

Reagan’s ‘war on drugs’ was total disaster. A failure of epic proportions. Ushered in the ‘Police State’ tactics against everyday citizens, far worse than even Prohibition did. Used copious amounts of money, time, and resources. After which guaranteed many years of Dem and Rino rule. And our ‘drug problem’ skyrocketed during those years and afterward. So did gangs and drug criminal activity.

[gundog]

State National Guards under the command of the likes of Kate Brown, Jerry Brown, and Jay Inslee? I’ve often thought that your idea was a good one, but no western governor is gonna risk Guard lives fighting Mexicans over weed.

[gundog]

Our jails are full of people whose only crime was possesion of small amounts of pot at an incredible cost to the public’

Really? Here in Oregon, we can't lock people up for stealing cars.

[Cats1]

You’re right. I looked into it after my last post and found the below excerpt.

“Department of Justice regulations stipulate that the attorney general — or, in this case, Rosenstein, — “may remove a special counsel for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause, including violation of departmental policies,”

Lots of articles implying Trump can fire him though. Hope last weeks thread about Trump’s lawyers researching Mueller’s team is legitimate. - These days it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. :(

http://www.businessinsider.com/can-trump-fire-special-counsel-robert-mueller-pardon-2017-7

[TianaHighrider]

I would like to add, from what I can tell, President Trump hasn’t been real impressed with Sessions either. His own words he said he wouldn’t have appointed him if he knew he was going to recuse himself. He is basically doing nothing to assist our President in the most critical time sensitive criminal investigation in this Country.

[philman_36]

Jeff Sessions: Marijuana Is Only "Slightly Less Awful" Than Heroin
...he said he was “astonished” by suggestions that medical marijuana might be a cure.
Who claimed it was a cure?

“I realize this may be an unfashionable belief in a time of growing tolerance of drug use. But too many lives are at stake to worry about being fashionable. I reject the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in every corner store,” he said. “And I am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing marijuana—so people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another that’s only slightly less awful. Our nation needs to say clearly once again that using drugs will destroy your life.”

Pick a card...any card...

[TianaHighrider]

Having the President fire Mueller is what they want. That is a TRAP. I understand that Firing the special prosecutor is what Nixon did before all h*ll broke loose and the moves to have him impeached. I believe that is why they are taunting him hiring all these Clinton lawyers, etc.

I believe removing Mueller will have to be done by someone else, the AG folks maybe. Congress can put an end to this anytime too.

[Just mythoughts]

Not one thing you posted demonstrates that Attorney General Sessions is going outside of existing ‘law’. I just love the ‘bully’ mentality of the doper class..

Over my life time, those so called casual - social pot heads I have encountered, are extremely self serving and really do not give a damn about anyone else but getting to their dark moist nether world. Soros sure knew what he was playing with, when he set in motion and helped fund these states that decided ‘pot’ was their new gateway source for tax dollars. No wonder public education has been reduced to ‘common core’. Stoned kids are easy to manipulate and brain wash. They sure do know though, that they are entitled from God and our Constitution to be mental wastelands.

[NobleFree]

“I’d want to see polls by several polling organizations.”

Here are five:

https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2432
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/12/support-for-marijuana-legalization-continues-to-rise/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/support-for-marijuana-legalization-at-all-time-high/
http://www.gallup.com/poll/196550/support-legal-marijuana.aspx
http://www.newsweek.com/marijuana-legalization-legal-states-poll-578502

[Freedom56v2]

It’s apparent from your responses that you have no clue how successful organizations operate. So, a problem that is kicked around in the news for more than a month, there was no need for those involved to meet and make a definite team decision how the administration was to handle the problem?

---

More bonafides. Gee, since the 90s...and you supported Trump 5 years before the election...Well, I supported Reagan and went to see him in person. So we are both supporters. Though again, based on your comments here, you seem to like Sessions a lot more than Trump.

Glad to have an organizational expert on FR...Perhaps White House should hire you! Maybe Sessions will since you are such a defender.

I still believe the onus was on Sessions to inform Trump...Sir, I am recusing myself on Thursday, etc. From what I saw, Trump was broadsided by Sessions’s announcement.

I never said they could not have had meetings discussing...perhaps they did. None of us know what was discussed about Sessions. Perhaps he may have indicated to the President that he would not recuse. However from what was said the day of Sessions’s recusal, Sessions did not come to Trump and inform him that he was recusing himself in a timely manner as he should have.

Sorry, I’m done...You can defend Sessions/blame Trump, but I just don’t agree with you on this.