Will Jeff Sessions Start a War on Pot Smokers?

Jeff Sessions was too racist to be confirmed as a judge.  Coretta Scott King wrote a letter to Congress explaining how Sessions is a racist who is against civil and equal rights for black people-and Congress believed her-because they had ample evidence to back her allegations up.  

Sessions once said he had no problems at all with the KKK until he learned some of them smoked pot.

Sessions, like Trump, is a racist and an ignoramus.

Guess I'll just have to keep getting it illegally

how will anyone get weed if he does?

The law is pretty clear. Congress passed a law making pot illegal and SCOTUS ruled they are authorized to do so under the commerce clause, even for medicinal use. The federal law trumps states in this case. The attorney general (and the DOJ) can't just ignore federal law despite what the last administration said.

Don't blame sessions. Blame Congress or SCOTUS. 

By the way, the justices who were in the majority in that decision were  Kennedy, Stevens, Ginsburg, Souter, Breyer and Scalia. The liberals are the one who want the feds hands in all commerce.

Ender, you're right about the federal laws of course, but so many of these Republican lawmakers claim to be pro states' rights. So which is it? Let the states decide or be a hypocrite & only allow states to decide when they agree with the laws that are passed?

does this one belong in the cannabis folder or the politics folder?

100% politics.

>> Ender, you're right about the federal laws of course, but so many of these Republican lawmakers claim to be pro states' rights. So which is it? Let the states decide or be a hypocrite & only allow states to decide when they agree with the laws that are passed?

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was introduced by a democrat, passed by a democratic super majority and  signed by democratic president FDR.

States rights are irrelevant. The commerce clause in the constitution says regulating commerce [between states] is a power granted to Congress, not the states.

The interpretation of the commerce clause that says trade within a state still affects other state's markets and therefore is the domain of congress had a liberal majority. The conservatives on the court are the minority who argued for state's rights, so I'm not sure why you are calling them hypocrites:

Justice Thomas:

Respondents Diane Monson and Angel Raich use marijuana that has never been bought or sold, that has never crossed state lines, and that has had no demonstrable effect on the national market for marijuana. If Congress can regulate this under the Commerce Clause, then it can regulate virtually anything—and the Federal Government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers.

Respondent's local cultivation and consumption of marijuana is not "Commerce... among the several States."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzales_v._Raich

>>>>The attorney general (and the DOJ) can't just ignore federal law despite what the last administration said.

While the Supreme Court upheld the federal cannabis prohibition on Commerce Clause grounds, the administration can exercise prosecutorial discretion and choose not to enforce the law if it wants.

Here is a link to a law review article on prosecutorial discretion and federal cannabis laws:

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/students/groups/osjcl/files/2016/12/06-Kamin.pdf

And just for the record, Scalia was a world class hypocrite, but he is dead now.

>> the administration can exercise prosecutorial discretion and choose not to enforce the law if it wants.

I know you are a lawyer and I'm obviously not, but that's crap. You want the judicial branch to effectively be able to veto laws? For instance what if a conservative attorney general wanted to ignore civil right or voting laws?  

Here's the mission statement of the DOJ:

To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

If you think this is the biggest problem with Trump's administration, you probably need to reevaluate your priorities. 

>> the administration can exercise prosecutorial discretion and choose not to enforce the law if it wants.

>>>>>I know you are a lawyer and I'm obviously not, but that's crap

Any jurisdiction has prosecutorial discretion - that's how it's always been done.

Sessions is a pretty funny name for an anti-stoner. Is his middle name Blaze?

>>>>For instance what if a conservative attorney general wanted to ignore civil right or voting laws?  

I'm sure that our new attorney general will be happy to ignore voting rights laws.  

For real, all prosecutors and police offices have their policies, stated or not, about what they will zealously enforce and what they don't bother to enforce.  That's one reason you don't usually see a bunch of federal cops running around a festival looking for people smoking weed, selling beer, or violating federal trademarks.  The feds do still prosecute MJ cases in states where it is legal, but generally limit it to cases that are particularly egregious, or involve the mail stream, the sending of marijuana across state lines, or cases in which there have also been environmental violations.  BTW, in Cal it is still a felony to send or carry across state lines or to grow in a way that harms the environment.

I'm sure you've heard of counties "decriminalizing" weed even when it is illegal under state law--that usually refers to a the county deciding not to arrest or formally prosecute small amounts, or first time offenders.  The flip side of it is the Rudy Giuliani school of city management--prosecute the small shit like littering, loud car stereos, open containers, and smoking weed to the max of your ability if it occurs in "high crime" (aka minority) neighborhoods in order to give cops reason to shake down and search all the negroes and build files on who hangs out where.

Another example is homeless camping laws.  Some cities and counties aggressively enforce, others don't.

https://youtu.be/xvaEJzoaYZk

"...two tours of duty in Vietnam
I came home with a brand new plan
I take the seed from Columbia and Mexico
I just plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road

And now the D.E.A.'s got a chopper in the air
I wake up screaming like I'm back over there
I learned a thing or two from Charlie don't you know
You better stay away from Copperhead Road"

Some may recall when Bush got frisky about this in California.  Local and state DAs refused to prosecute. 

Given Browns comments about resisting prez -3mil makes me think the same thing will happen. 

To attempt to shut doors that have been opened for a while would be disasterous for the Trump administration. They will already be experiencing major resistance on other policy decisions from all sides.

I predict they maintain status quo.

much debate in vermont about this, and lots of uncertainly.

the way i see it, sessions and his cohorts will fight for federal enforcement and the effective reversal of state policy, but, with the recent progression of state policy change, and with it, an emerging industry, trump may favor dollars over his religious nut sidekicks. sure enough, this administration will probably find some way to ding this movement.

stay safe.

Change your strains! 

Sometimes i Miss the Old days of Bud scoring a bag thinking it was somehow Wrong sneaking off to spark a Joint - i hate homogenization i have Yet to find Buds in the last Few Years That Is Icky Sticky Black Oooey Gooey Resin SUPER Kill Green !

To attempt to shut doors that have been opened for a while would be disasterous for the Trump administration. They will already be experiencing major resistance on other policy decisions from all sides.

I predict they maintain status quo.<<<

Perhaps, but Trump seems to thrive on stirring the pot and sticking it to his perceived adversaries.   It might "just be weed", but I believe it could be a flashpoint in terms of raking the coals & civil unrest which will undoubtedly follow.  Remember, nedb and his cohorts used to light couches on fire in the streets of Boulder for no go reason; just imagine what will go down it such towns if legalization reversed!

To be fair, half the people in the industry voted for it to not be legal. 

Other fair point is that this isn't just about stoners wanting to get stoned. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

>Perhaps, but Trump seems to thrive on stirring the pot and sticking it to his perceived adversaries<

Alaska is the only state with legal recreational cannabis that went for Trump, the rest went for Clinton. I imagine that he could stick it to his adversaries without much political damage.

A ray of hope? Trump considering legalization advocate for FDA commissioner

https://www.ganjapreneur.com/trump-considering-legalization-supporter-fd...

I still think trump is a businessman first and will realize the financial impact that legal weed--or at least the medical impact that cannabis medical use for treating pain and various diseases. Once big pharma embraces cannabaloids as a money maker, things will change.

for stock investors, take a look at imlff and owcp. Both companies have stellar pharmaceutical execs involved in the company. Owcp has the former head of israels mmj program and imlff has the former medical director from GW pharmaceutical.   Imlff just appointed the VP for corporate investments at Eli Lilly to,their board and owcp has teva interested in their patents. I think both stocks easily double from here. Both companies based outside of the us.

sam

I would say that Sessions is licking his chops to shut it all down or at least send a strong message that there is a new sherrif in town by going after some of the larger scale or high profile entities. Once confirmed, he will not be so closely aligned with Trump as the AG position and role is 'not supposed to be' political.

In the end, regardless of his ambitions, little will be done to stop the momentum of the march towards legalization. There may be many less dispensaries or less huge scale industrialized grow operations in legal states but the movement will simmer and, yes, possibly go back underground for a minute but clearly not going away or back in the bottle either.

Anyone who survived the Reagan years knows it was also relatively easy to get good bud and some wild varity at that, although maybe at a trickle or not altogether very conveniently. 

As plf9905 stated, the overall homogenization is really lame and widespread today. Old throwback seeds and skilled growers have been able to keep some quality diversity alive. Despite what is widely recognized as the best genetic science in CO, old school small-scale experience in CA & OR in particular blows all that away. 

Nobody knows for sure though. Trump could smell the money and put a massive federal tax on top of whatever is already a nearly crippling business environment layered with red tape and regulation. It takes some guts and strong will (and lots of dollars) to stay in the cannabiz today and the biggies are eating the smallies in CO, for example, but will really cash in if they survive and get to a point to where they can use banks, take write-offs, and operate like any other business....but then it will look like RJR and the craft producers will surely be sought out by consumers.

Do you smoke Pot Fafa? I am just curious of the stance of a deadhead Trump supporter. It's a very interesting dynamic. 

Do you smoke Pot Fafa? I am just curious of the stance of a deadhead Trump supporter. It's a very interesting dynamic. 

War on immigrants is up first, then he'll get around to rounding up the pot smokers and growers -  he's going to need that money from asset forfeiture to pay for his wall.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/president-trump-i...

Creek, don't you have a session with Robert and Linda this morning? You can smoke that again.

Ok Fafa. You can keep thinking what you want. Your point has been proven. You are part of the problem and have zero solution. You just post bs like Trumps tweets.

Amazing you like to hang out with us. That mouth too, just like the pussy grabber himself.

peace to you

you seem to need it pretty bad.

Creek, you've always been the problem. You brought it up and now you're crying, always the victim. When you quit trolling me, then there will be no problem.  You just can't seem to help yourself though. I've never once engaged you on Viva unless you started trolling me. Go back to .net and cry some more where maybe people care.

Listen Pal, let's see proof I am Creek.

second, your posts read like Trumps tweets and all of them are anger drivin unless it's about the String Dusters. 

So don't come at me as the problem unless you got something to back it.

So go on with your anger, keep talking trash, keep being an ass, because man, that's on you Pal

peace to you sir

I feel bad for ya, mad in a group of happy folks.

hope you feel better

C'mon Bobby Creekhead.

Who do you think you're kidding?

You outed yourself a long time ago. It was painfully clear.

Just Black pot smokers.

Jeff Sessions personally asked Congress to let him prosecute medical marijuana providers

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is asking congressional leaders to undo federal medical marijuana protections that have been in place since 2014, according to a May letter that became public Monday.

The protections, known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, prohibit the Justice Department from using federal funds to prevent certain states "from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of medical marijuana."

In his letter, first obtained by Tom Angell of Massroots.com and verified independently by The Washington Post, Sessions argued that the amendment would "inhibit [the Justice Department's] authority to enforce the Controlled Substances Act." He continues:

I believe it would be unwise for Congress to restrict the discretion of the Department to fund particular prosecutions, particularly in the midst of an historic drug epidemic and potentially long-term uptick in violent crime. 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...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/13/jeff-sessions-per...

The Sherrif  of mendocino stated that if the feds bust everyone growing it would tie up the fedral courts for the next ten years . Google earth just about anyware in humboldt you will find weed and alot of it . BIG BIG YEAR UP HERE IN THE MNTS MASSIVE GROWS WITH NO FEAR OF SESSIONS !

^they will come after the landowners. Happened with a friend back in 2012. My buddy rented land to grow, the feds threatened to prosecute the landowner, and my buddy had to pack up and go.

Sure things would​ be tied up in Federal courts, but land and assets will be confiscated while cases make their way through the courts.

I bet the Feds are gearing up for a crackdown. Apparently the US Attorneys for OR confronted high level state officials in a meeting about cracking down Last month 

http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2017/06/oregons_top_federa...

They Don't have enough law enforcement to even get 1 % .http://kymkemp.com/2017/03/01/pge-extends-ag-rate-to-marijuana-growers-t... even the power co is in on it

Ca 21 years we have had our medical try and put that back in the bag

I echo what Doc is stating. 

No, but he's going to blow the idea that there was any "collusion" with the Russians out of the water this afternoon.

>>>   No, but he's going to blow the idea that there was any "collusion" with the Russians out of the water this afternoon.

How, by claiming executive privilege and refusing to answer questions?   Or maybe he'll just lie about his meetings with Russians, like the last time he testified.  That blew the idea of a conspiracy away that time, for suresies.

https://twitter.com/20committee/status/874618886796324864

>>Ca 21 years we have had our medical try and put that back in the bag<<

It's always been a violation of federal law, Sessions wants to enforce the law. The culture won't change, but some folks will be arrested and have their assests seized.

Keep waving your flag, Thom.

>They Don't have enough law enforcement to even get 1 % .

Trump has praised the Philippine approach.

And this..because medical marijuana abuses can happen just like the abuse of medical opiates, according to Sessions

https://thinkprogress.org/sessions-wants-to-go-after-medical-marijuana-5...

While recreational marijuana companies remain in precarious territory under federal law, Congress has for years protected medicinal cannabis suppliers and patients from the boots and rifles of federal agents.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is begging lawmakers to rescind that safe harbor for medical pot — and claiming that the very prescription painkiller epidemic that medicinal cannabis helps stunt should prompt the government to crack down on doctor-prescribed marijuana.

“I believe it would be unwise for Congress to restrict the discretion of the Department to fund particular prosecutions, particularly in the midst of an historic drug epidemic and potentially long-term uptick in violent crime,” Sessions wrote in a May letter to congressional leaders which was obtained Monday by marijuana legalization advocate Tom Angell. Its authenticity was confirmed Tuesday by the Washington Post...

http://www.snopes.com/chelsea-clinton-marijuana/

"Chelsea Clinton made the (ostensibly inaccurate) claim that individuals in states with legal marijuana have died due to drug interactions involving the substance."

good thing Chelsea doesn't write public policy!

oh, she also back peddled on that one, but yeah, fuck Hillary, right?

Hillary won California. 

As much crap as there is on this board about Sessions going after pot I just dont see it. Can anyone point to anything he has done to do so since becoming AG? I am all ears. Just a few posts above I hear He is trying to get med laws changed can someone provide a link to such a statement? The only thing they might even be close is the May 1 letter but if you actually read the letter you see the target is cartels and similar who are abusing the med laws. We all know how these guys operate in Cali and other southwest states guns murder turf wars stealling from legit growers etc. Further Trump is in a tough spot low ratings etc and you can bet he is well aware that most of the deporables smoke he would never let Sessions go after legit shops. Don Jr is regulary interacting with Trump voters on the net and he also knows full well the base's feelings on pot. Much ado about nothing me thinks.

>

nor'easter season

 Orange County Lumber Truck on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 – 09:47 am

Jeff Sessions personally asked Congress to let him prosecute medical marijuana providers

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is asking congressional leaders to undo federal medical marijuana protections that have been in place since 2014, according to a May letter that became public Monday.

The protections, known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, prohibit the Justice Department from using federal funds to prevent certain states "from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of medical marijuana."

In his letter, first obtained by Tom Angell of Massroots.com and verified independently by The Washington Post, Sessions argued that the amendment would "inhibit [the Justice Department's] authority to enforce the Controlled Substances Act." He continues:

I believe it would be unwise for Congress to restrict the discretion of the Department to fund particular prosecutions, particularly in the midst of an historic drug epidemic and potentially long-term uptick in violent crime. 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...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/13/jeff-sessions-per...