Jeff Sessions’ Coming War on Legal Marijuana

originally posted by: JDeLattre89
You do realize that he is being appointed as Attorney General right? The AG enforces laws, he/she does not create them. He cannot enforce laws that don't exist or that he arbitrarily makes up.

And the federal law says its illegal. Which is the problem here.

A smart business man would legalize at the federal level and tax it.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

He wants a war?

He just might get one.......

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Donald Trump and company are pro private prison. That says it all!

While that is disheartening news, that is actually worse for illegals. Illegals, moreso than any other demographic of criminals, tend to end up in private prisons.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I feel like the tide is turning. Most states are recognizing that most people are at the very least "ok" with it being legal. And a growing population demanding it be legal.

Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Three other states will soon join them after recently passing measures permitting use of medical marijuana.

Recreationally, more and more people are catching up with the facts that support it being a far, far better alternative to drinking alcohol. It's safer and healthier. And highly taxable when controlled at the state level.

Seven states and the District of Columbia have adopted more expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Most recently, California, Massachusetts and Nevada all passed measures in November legalizing recreational marijuana

I think it's past the point of no return but still an uphill fight for marijuana users. They've got plenty of spotlight support going for them now. And more and more politicians speaking for it than against it.

As you can see, it's acceptability Across the country is increasing. It's not the "devil weed" that people were once afraid of.



Where it's legal

Speaking from experience, I know that there is good weed and bad weed out there. It's like the difference between drinking rubbing alcohol and patron. The bad weed was all around in the past because people would buy anything they could in a market where you mostly had to settle with what was being snuck into town.

But the good weed, that stuff is legit. It is positively a good experience. Anyone who drinks alcohol and says weed is bad is an uneducated hipicrit. Anyone who doesn't put anything unnatural into their body at all, I respect. Politicians opinions are empty and worthless. They go where the money tells them to go.

Trump wants people to like him and he's going to follow the money. There is FAR too much money being made with legal marijuana.

In Colorado alone,

Colorado also collected more than $135 million in marijuana taxes and fees in 2015 — more than $35 million of which is earmarked for school construction projects.

Source

Crime rates are down! Mostly because people aren't being arrested for selling or using marijuana, but it frees up the cops to focus on the real bad guys!

States adopting recreational marijuana laws display large declines in arrest rates for drug offenses and no changes in violent and property crime rates. Research on international changes in marijuana policy and U.S. medical marijuana laws similarly show that relaxing marijuana prohibitions does not increase crime. Moreover, the drug war consumes significant resources and diverts police and judicial attention away from more serious crimes, so liberalizing marijuana may help to reduce other crime.

Source

To conclude, I'm not trying to pitch the use of it as being the great solution for the worlds problems. I can't smoke it with my job and haven't smoked it in 15 years. I'm perfectly happy without it. But the people want it, the states are waking up to the income it can create for the state. Courthouses and police are able to focus on real criminals. And with that, it's gaining leverage. Sessions and Trump will learn that it's better to have that leverage on your side because the moment they go against it, they lose a lot of votes in the house and senate floor. If sessions doesn't adapt, trump will replace him.

Just my take on it.

a reply to: Assassin82

I hope you are right. I was really hopeful hearing about California recently legalizing it since CA is the 6 - 8th largest economy in the world depending on your source. I just fear they won't have time to get the market going before the crackdown happens. I mean if the market is in full swing it'll be REALLY hard to argue with that economic momentum, but right now it isn't off the ground yet and that is the best time to stop it in its tracks. But hey, maybe the economic momentum from the states that have already legalized it will be enough. Colorado's economic momentum is already pretty outstanding.

What I REALLY hope happens is that marijuana proponents start appealing to the industry being a job creator. That would go a long way with Trump's populist message he's been yelling for the last year or so. It would be hard to argue against shutting down the market when it is pitched as a MASSIVE job creator.

a reply to: Assassin82
I'd really like to believe that, but all the DEA has to do is start raiding legal shops and the rest will close down out of fear of prosecution. And Sessions can make that happen with a swipe of his pen.

a reply to: underwerks

There could be a plus side to this. Maybe Sessions pushing this issue causes the people in support of it to push back. Several states may refuse to help the federal government do this crackdown and a VERY large States' rights issue may blow up in his face. Then they'd have no choice but to accept legalization.

a reply to: MOMof3

My point is, does that guy set the actual agenda to follow, or does the Boss do that?

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
a reply to: MOMof3

My point is, does that guy set the actual agenda to follow, or does the Boss do that?

To answer your question as honestly as possible, that is up to the President. The President can direct him to do what he wants or he could just as easily take a hands off approach and trust the AG's judgement. As it stands, this isn't high on Trump's priority list so there aren't too many sound bytes to go by to get a feel how he will proceed with this. There ARE many sound bytes from Sessions on his stance on the matter though.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Donald Trump and company are pro private prison. That says it all!

I think this speaks volumes, honestly.

That said....my town has prisons as a major employer. If the DOJ truly halts the use of private federal prisons, it'll score a major win for liberty while likely killing my hometown.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Anyone got anything to say to put my fears at rest?

Sorry. I've got nothing.

But I will say that this is a fight that must be fought, and addresses the very foundation of our natural rights and therefore our Constitution.

We the people have every right to enjoy the fruits of the earth. And especially when it comes to our health and our very life. Criminalizing a natural substance that our bodies NEED to maintain and nurture healthy bodies is the real crime... against ALL humanity. As is any and every law or regulation that limits/restricts our access to healing substances. (Are you listening FDA, DEA and DOJ???)

Let the good fight begin.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

But there is a history:
Trump MIGHT be set on dismantling the War On Drugs....

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Currently 26 states have some form of legalization in effect (plus D.C.). Of them, you have 7 (plus D.C.) passing laws expanding recreational use.

I think that the lid is off no matter what happens. In California alone, its likely to turn a bankrupt state into a state that is able to once again stay afloat. In the next few years it looks like we will have Vermont, RI, and Delaware join in the recreational use windfall.

The train is already rolling. 5 years tops. TBH, i expect Trump will be behind legalization solely on the monetary gains possible from it. I guess it depends on which Trump we got: one that wants to fill his own pockets, or one that is planning on being the CEO of the United States. I guess we will see.

This is maddening. One step forward and two steps back. Ugh.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Yeah. Trump is truly the wild card here. There is going to be a lot of give and take between Sessions' DOJ and the legal weed market and Trump will be the ultimate arbiter of which way the wind will blow. There are many good messages he could pick up that go to his populist message and watching how he decides to proceed here will probably be one of his bigger tests of his campaign rhetoric as a new President.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Maybe you're right, IDK. I don't understand why those private prisons, that are run for profit, can't be converted to federally run prisons that don't need to show a profit, keeping those employees in place. Isn't it all the same tax dollars?

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
a reply to: Krazysh0t

But there is a history:
Trump MIGHT be set on dismantling the War On Drugs....

Possibly. Trump has been all over the place on his position on cannabis. Back in the 90's he was for legalization. Later he said that medical is 100% good. Then during the election he said that the recreational market has problems (though he didn't name any). So it's hard to get a read on how he stands here. To be honest, I think his AG pick of Sessions speaks the most about what his intentions will be.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

We know his roots are NOT against it. We also know he had to play politics to get past the GOP DINO's, so he couldn'tjust lay it out there. So it might be a wee bit premature to go labeling Trump a War On Drugs psycho.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Hey. Maybe you are right. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Hell its likely the best card I have to play anyways since we kicked most of the Democrats (who are generally for legalization or at the least for relaxing enforcement) out of office. I'm just saying that he isn't exactly doing anything to spoil my fears or anything. Sessions' pick coupled with his tough on crime rhetoric all spells disaster to me. Granted, the tough on crime rhetoric pertains to illegals but its not hard to make the jump from illegals to drug users.