Sessions Beats War Drum on Pot Legalization, Concerning State Attorneys General

U.S. News & World Report ^ | Feb. 28, 2017

[deplorableindc]

ttorney General Jeff Sessions has twice in two days publicly bashed marijuana legalization, abandoning his confirmation-process reticence to discuss the topic and reclaiming his colorful opposition.

On Tuesday, Sessions told a Washington ballroom packed with state attorneys general – many of them in charge of defending laws that conflict with federal prohibition – that pot legalization should be resisted, though he did not describe any specific plans to challenge state-regulated markets.

Attorneys general of three states with laws allowing for recreational sales told U.S. News after the remarks that Sessions needs to clarify his intentions.

[Fhios]

Ruh Roh. Many people aren’t going to like this and it will destroy some of the crossover voting Trump got.

[ClearCase_guy]

Mixed feelings.

I oppose legalization, and voted against it when MA wanted to legalize it last year — they won; I lost.

But I also support States’ Rights. I don’t agree that the federal government should control this sort of thing. The War on Drugs has certainly been a mixed bag, so big sweeping decisions at the federal level seem unjustified. Let the States pass laws and then watch and see which states are pleased with the various outcomes.

In short: I wish Sessions would focus on other things.

[dljordan]

And just what part of the constitution does he derive this authority from? Is it the good and plenty clause or that pesky Interstate Commerce clause?

[JoSixChip]

You don’t chose which laws you will enforce and which ones you wont, you enforce the law as written. Otherwise why even have laws, just let the king decide what is legal and illegal. If you don’t like the law, change it.

[Hugh the Scot]

It’s a damn plant.

[central_va]

Pot has ruined more lives than just about any other drug. Lost motivation, lost career prospects lost self respect.

[Organic Panic]

There are bigger fish to fry. And eliminating recreational will only enrich the Mexican cartels and corrupt government.

[Red Steel]

Pot rots brains.

[EinNYC]

What kind of a sick society do we have when people have to drug themselves against reality in order to get through their day? Are these the people who would have settled the West? No. Are these the people who would have stormed the beach at Normandy? No. These are weaklings who never developed grit.

I am NOT in favor of legalizing marijuana because I don't feel like giving a green light to its irresponsible use by drivers. The lanes are narrow enough here in NYC and it's enough challenge to keep your car on the straight and narrow. It is beyond frightening to think that a vehicle weighing thousands of pounds and traveling at 30 mph or more is piloted by someone under the influence in the lane to your right and to your left, whether it be alcohol or dope. Legalizing marijuana would remove any stigma to using it and would contribute to its careless use while driving. No thanks!

[Hugh the Scot]

I doubt it casts the palest shadow of alcohol...

Doesn’t matter: I’m not a proponent of marijuana use. I’m a proponent of sticking to constitutional guidelines whenever the force of law is to be applied, and there’s no constitutional authority to “illegalize” a native plant by the FedGov. That’s my one and only issue with this.

[Diogenesis]

AG Sessions has a few weeks to correct corruption
in HIS DOJ, or the MSM will blame it all on him
and President Trump.

This ‘strawman’ issue
is therefore not the subject which his Office
ought to focus on.

[PreciousLiberty]

“Pot has ruined more lives than just about any other drug. Lost motivation, lost career prospects lost self respect.”

I disagree - I think alcohol holds that crown. That’s not mentioning the millions of deaths. Marijuana doesn’t come close.

Tobacco is also despicable in light of how many it’s killed.

Say what you want, but marijuana has much less of an impact on the body than either - and virtually none if you eat it rather than smoking it. As with any recreational drug, using too much or too often isn’t a great idea - but there are plenty of functional, productive pot users.

[TheStickman]

As someone who uses cannabis daily as medicine I’m concerned but not worried yet.

Sessions’ testimony in committee was “it’s against the law & if Congress wants cannabis use & production to be legal they need to change the law.”

All of his comments since, IMO are a warning to Congress & the states who have legalized medical cannabis & recreational cannabis. We know Federal law (unConstitutionally, IMO) trumps state law. So my prayer is that Congress will do the right thing & change the law or issue another resolution that prohibits the DOJ from opening taxpayer funds to take down legal cannabis operations in the states where it has been legalized/regulated.

I also pray President Trump will encourage Sessions to spend DOJ resources arresting & shutting down the illegal cannabis operations that are not in keep with a state’s laws on the subject.

[AzNASCARfan]

Not even a close second to alcohol... which is legal...

[grania]

I agree with you. I'm wondering if Attorney General won't focus on legal marijuana that goes across state lines.

AG Sessions seems to be sincerely opposed to all drug use, including the horrendous problem of people who get hooked from the dependence on pharmaceuticals that have real bad side effects.

I'm in the same quandary you are. I don't think long term legal marijuana will cut down on drug use. But it's a states issue. What's the harm of different states having different laws? It's up to people visiting an area to know what laws are there. That's no different from being responsible for a state's driving laws when you're somewhere else.

I had another thought. What about people working for the federal government or even some other employer who does business outside the state? Shouldn't they be able to say marijuana is illegal for their employees?

[hanamizu]

there’s no constitutional authority to “illegalize” a native plant by the FedGov. That’s my one and only issue with this.

---

Has the FedGov, in fact made marijuana illegal? I thought it was a case of not paying a Federal government tax on marijuana that is illegal. (Kind of like the Whiskey Tax). Now the FedGov refuses to issue Marijuana Tax Stamps so it is impossible to pay the tax. (I may be wrong about all of this, but this is how I remember it being explained many years ago.)

[central_va]

Alcohol doesn’t have the long term dulling effect on the personality and brain function that pot does. I have seen the effects in action.

[TheStickman]

“Pot has ruined more lives than just about any other drug. Lost motivation, lost career prospects lost self respect.”

Alcohol & tobacco have ruined/killed more people & their families than any drug on the planet. 0 people have ever died from using cannabis. It cannot physically harm a person, even when it’s abused. There is no physical addiction to cannabis.

As someone who began using cannabis as medicine in Feb 2015 I can assure you my motivations, my daily attention to my career have not changed one iota. In fact, my life has been improved drastically since I began using cannabis to treat Anti-Depressant Withdrawal Syndrome & anxiety. For folks like me who duly took the prescribed meds for 20+ years but never really got better for more than a year or less—cannabis is a great blessing. Thanks be to God above for this wonderful plant.

[central_va]

Your experience and love affair with pot is not everyone’s experience. Pot is addictive as hell. I know you smoke every day but could quit anytime you want to. I believe you.