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.”
More ‘crazy uncle’ shite. Doesn’t Sessions understand the concept of demographics? As in the cohort that believed the same things he does is not able to make their political presence felt anymore due to dementia, illness, infirmity and death? As in those replacing them in the electorate have had enough of cannabis prohibition (and its agents) and are voting to end it…as has been demonstrated since 1996?
Whenever I see such atavistic anachronisms, I am reminded of editorial cartoons from the period immediately prior to the end of alcohol Prohibition: http://www.drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/images/prohibition_era_cartoons/index.htm
Ol’ Jeffie, like his ideological forebears (the ‘Mr. Dry’ character illustrated in those cartoons), thinks himself above the problem when he and his ilk are the problem.
This might be ‘crazy uncle’ shite, and the demographics may be against the Prohibitionist lunatic fringe, but it means nothing unless people actually makes their views known.
So phone, email, write those hard copy letters to your elected officials, and tell your friends. Especially voters and residents in Republican districts and Republican-leaning states. We need both sides of the aisle to stop the madness.
As head of the DOJ Sessions has more pressing matters then weed but being a Swamp Creature he decides to go after the low hanging fruit.
kaptinemo is correct, the people have spoken through their Constitutional Rights, step back Sessions and let it go.
The FBI and Comey may end up foiling Jeff’s bait and switch (never mind about the Russia links folks, I’ve got a nice shiny new drug war to make you all rich again!).
Just one for the most appropriate British isles essay producing products and services on the globe.
[Edit: Spam Link Removed]
Spambot Alert!!!
I wonder what their sales success rate is with this. Extremely low I would have thought.
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I agree with WalStMonky/Duncan’s comment from the previous blog post: Congress is likely to “just say no” to AG Session’s request. While in some ways it’s laughable to mention ‘constituents’ as a concern for our wonderful members of Congress, Sessions is now completely removed from the concern over votes and voters. But some members of Congress will cast a wary eye at the prospect of unlocking that giant hammer Sessions keeps drooling over, and the idea of the AG swinging it with impunity in their state(s) where med cannabis is openly sold and consumed would cause a backlash even they couldn’t run and hide from (try as they might). Consider this possible description from Congressman/woman ‘X’: “Mr. Sessions, my state has a well functioning medical cannabis program that is above board and helps a lot of sick children and suffering cancer patients, but by all means come on in and just tear the place up”.
Along with Sessions, other members of the DOJ are tipping their hand regarding what they believe should be done about the cannabis menace. From a followup article also by Tom Angell;
Justice Department No. 2: Marijuana Memo Still In Effect
https://www.massroots.com/news/justice-department-no-2-marijuana-memo-still-in-effect
In spite of the headline, check this out from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein;
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In the Senate hearing Rosenstein said that marijuana is “a very difficult issue for parents of teenagers, like me who have to provide guidance to our kids.â€
He added that he has talked with the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and agreed that “from a legal and scientific perspective, marijuana is an unlawful drug. It’s properly scheduled under Schedule Iâ€
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So now we have a new category of crazy: Scientifically unlawful drugs. Where do they find these people…?
My spider sense is suggesting this Sessions letter may be setting up the entry of Big Pharma cannabinoid-medicines Epidiolex and Sativex.
The Rorhbacher-Farr Amendment allows for a very robust competition to ANY future FDA-approved cannabis meds.
Unless the FDA is planning on playing Lucy and pulling the football away from ol’ Chuck Brown, at some point Epidiolex and Sative have gotta become legal.
This Schedule I fantasy that many government officials hold is one-part ideology and one-part Big Pharma protection program.
I’m throwing out the idea that Sessions may be trying to reduce the potential harm of various State and territorial MMJ systems already in place, that of course would/will limit Big Pharma profits.
Why I believe this is because once isolated lab-produced cannabinoids are removed from Schedule I the prohibitionists and ideologues will claim very loudly that we simply don’t NEED whole-plant cannabis, ESPECIALLY smoked forms.
Or, Sessions is just a stupid little man who hates weed.
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Big Pharma Wants a Monopoly On One of Weed’s Key Medicinal Compounds
Corporate lobbyists in more than 20 states are currently pushing to make sure the pharmaceutical industry has the only legal supply of CBD.
http://tinyurl.com/y8m9y92c
In terms of medical efficacy, an isolated CBD product like Epidiolex is SHIT, for a large percentage of epileptics. Why? Cannabinoid ratios (including THC) are important, as is the terpene profile as Linalool has proven to enhance the effect of CBD in patients with epilepsy.
There is NO SUCH THING as one-size-fits-all cannabinoid-based therapy. It’s as much art as it is science.
Cannabis’s Entourage Effect
http://www.drugwarrant.com/2017/05/trump-and-duterte/#comment-285167
Just to recap: Cells damaged by cannabis smoke die off instead of metastasizing into cancer, and the anti-oxidant effect of cannabinoids is protective.
How do we know this? NIDA-sponsored Donald Tashkin, at UCLA. So EFF your benzene and other smoke-related toxins Sessions, and just STFU!