Is Sessions' Opposition To Legal Marijuana Racially Motivated

[Ron Strider]

Much to the dismay of US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved a budget amendment in an appropriations bill covering fiscal 2017.

The amendment would protect states with responsible medical marijuana laws from Department of Justice interference and would help prevent a federal crackdown on state-legal cannabis businesses–a position the majority of Americans support

However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a letter that stated "Congress has determined that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that the illegal distribution and sale of marijuana is a crime." The DOJ is committed to enforcing the Controlled Substances Act under the guise of addressing "the most significant threats to public health and safety."

Yet, cannabis is not dangerous and it is not a public health or safety threat.

Marijuana has been scientifically proven to be less harmful than alcohol and tobacco (both legal substances under federal law passed by Congress).

When cannabis businesses come into neighborhoods, crime goes down, not up.

In states with medical marijuana laws, opioid use has even been shown to decrease. This makes it nearly impossible to see any threat at except the lack of federal regulations.

In May, Sessions, an ardent opponent to marijuana legalization, issued a memorandum ordering federal prosecutors to pursue the toughest possible sentences for certain nonviolent drug offenders, which overturned the bipartisan-supported policy of issuing mandatory minimums sentences for non-violent offenders implemented under the Obama Administration. The AG was blasted by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Then, in July, Sessions announced the DOJ was considering rolling back a series of Obama-era curbs on civil-asset forfeiture–a highly disputed practice that would allow law enforcement to permanently seize property, and in many states, cash from individuals and businesses, who may never actually be charged with a crime. This controversial practice is riddled with and is ripe for corruption, considering law enforcement only needs a "suspicion of a crime" to seize assets and, in many states, cash under the program.

Sessions is forcing his outdated, inaccurate views of cannabis on the American people, despite two-thirds of our country passing responsible medical marijuana laws, 61 percent supporting full legalization for adult use, 81 percent backing medical marijuana use, and 71 percent of Americans opposing a federal crackdown on cannabis.

Sessions' positions are out of sync with President Trump's goal of creating more well paying jobs and they are out of touch with Americans, veterans, patients, business owners, and the states, who depend on the billions in tax dollars collected from the cannabis industry for important state, county and municipal programs.

While it is clear the majority of Americans have become much more educated about marijuana, Sessions seems to be misleading the country about what marijuana is, its uses and how we even got here in the first place. (According to Richard Nixon's top aides, Nixon's war on drugs was racially motivated).

This leaves us questioning what Sessions' war on marijuana is really about?

As Americans, we must ask ourselves tough questions: is this racially motivated?

Is it about our big-money prisons systems?

Is it pressure from political donors? Other special interest groups?

Maybe, it is Harry Anslinger, the father of drug criminalization himself, channeling himself through our Attorney General?

Whatever the explanation, a federal crackdown on the cannabis industry would mean medical marijuana patients and veterans will be denied access to treatments that improve their quality of life. Tens of thousands of Americans would lose their incomes and jobs. Billions less would be collected from cannabis businesses for state and municipal programs.

More otherwise law-abiding citizens would be locked up in prisons. More families will be torn apart. Innovation would be stunted, and pioneering entrepreneurs would be treated as criminals.

Congress has the power to stop Sessions' Reefer Madness mentality while helping our country combat its opioid crisis, giving our nation's sickest patients access to alternative medical treatments, generating billions in tax dollars for programs, creating jobs and spawning innovation–all of which benefits Americans, not harms them.

Congress should step up finally pass comprehensive and inclusive legalization reforms. If they do, you can rest assured the American people will applaud them for passing common sense regulations that will benefit our nation, patients, veterans, small businesses and pioneering job creators.

News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Is Sessions's Opposition to Legal Marijuana Racially Motivated?
Author: Ryan Jennemann
Contact: Contact
Photo Credit: James the Stanton
Website: Newsweek - News, Analysis, Politics, Business, Technology

 

[wildflowerbudd]

Yes, to answer the question.

 

[Nightmask]

I thought the government was supposed to be "of the people, by the people, for the people." So if the people overwhelmingly support the legalization of cannabis how and why do we have sacks of shit like Sessions pushing their own personal distorted and delusional views onto the population? He clearly doesn't serve the people, yet aren't those in government supposedly called "public servants" as in they are supposed to serve the public?

It should be clear by now that those in power do not care about life or freedom, they only care about the status quo of power, profit, and control.

 

[Ditchweed242]

Jeff Sessions said in April of this year - “Good people don't smoke marijuana."
Not sure what else you need to know about the man. That is an idiotic statement.
Whatever his motivations are will most assuredly be equally as idiotic.

 

[Frankiec]

Veterans are NOT allowed access to marijuana. And if you test positive, There is a litany of needed meds they will not give you. Including pain meds even after an operation.

 

[KennyBee]

1

 

[KennyBee]

I thought the government was supposed to be "of the people, by the people, for the people." So if the people overwhelmingly support the legalization of cannabis how and why do we have sacks of shit like Sessions pushing their own personal distorted and delusional views onto the population? He clearly doesn't serve the people, yet aren't those in government supposedly called "public servants" as in they are supposed to serve the public?

It should be clear by now that those in power do not care about life or freedom, they only care about the status quo of power, profit, and control.

You are correct, Nightmask. The government that you have now is not at all representative of the will of the people. Statistics on which legislation is likely to be passed by Congress shows that around 43% of all legislation that is considered highly desirable by the voters gets passed into law. No matter how popular or unpopular a bill is, Congress passes legislation based on what their corporate sponsors want and not what the voters want. Even if nearly 100% of voters want Congress to pass a particular bit of legislation, there's a 43% chance that it will be enacted. Likewise, a piece of legislation that nearly zero voters want also has a 43% chance of passing. Your opinion as voters matters not at all. So, stop voting for either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. You all keep doing the same thing every 2 and 4 years hoping for a different outcome. That's just stupid. Do something different if you want a different outcome.

Until you all rise up and depose the Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned about, the whole of humanity will continue to suffer from their greed and delusions of grandeur.

 

[Nightmask]

You are correct, Nightmask. The government that you have now is not at all representative of the will of the people. Statistics on which legislation is likely to be passed by Congress shows that around 43% of all legislation that is considered highly desirable by the voters gets passed into law. No matter how popular or unpopular a bill is, Congress passes legislation based on what their corporate sponsors want and not what the voters want. Even if nearly 100% of voters want Congress to pass a particular bit of legislation, there's a 43% chance that it will be enacted. Likewise, a piece of legislation that nearly zero voters want also has a 43% chance of passing. Your opinion as voters matters not at all. So, stop voting for either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. You all keep doing the same thing every 2 and 4 years hoping for a different outcome. That's just stupid. Do something different if you want a different outcome.

Until you all rise up and depose the Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned about, the whole of humanity will continue to suffer from their greed and delusions of grandeur.

I'm Australian, not American, so all that American political bulls**t doesn't affect me, but I do agree with what you're saying. I saw a YouTube clip a while back saying basically exactly what you're saying that regardless of if the American people are for or against certain legislation it has the same chance of being passed into law, but if corporations want something passed into law it's pretty much 100% certain to become law. American politics has been bought and paid for by corporations for decades. Corruption is legal in America. What the people want doesn't matter. Politics is theater for the masses, and the masses of people are dumb enough to think that if you want change and it doesn't happen then 'get out there and vote for the other guy' next election (which of course is bulls**t because both parties serve the psychopathic scumbag elite and not the people). We got our own s**t government here in Australia. Atleast American states are legalizing weed, here in Aus it's still illegal in every state.