And by rescinding a previous 2013 memo, the Cole Memorandum, which stipulated that the federal government wouldn't intervene with state efforts to legalize, he's made it clear that he wants to try and put a stop to the wave of legalization that's taken place over the past several years.
Fortunately, Sessions doesn't have much support from other lawmakers when it comes to his battle against the controversial plant.
A great deal of elected officials from around the country have already voiced their discontent with Sessions' statements.
a group of about 100+ lawmakers and various state officials that disagree with Sessions' anti-cannabis stance, had a collective letter published in the Washington Times.
The group consists of mayors, legislators, a sheriff, councilors, county commissioners, and other US state officials.
With Sessions' making the move to rescind that memo, it's not only caused frustration and confusion for lawmakers but for investors, small business owners, cannabis patients, and others.
With their letter, co-signed by 100+ officials from state officials nationwide, critics wanted to express the support that they have for states to determine their own path when it comes to how they want to deal with cannabis.
“.... Your decision also created uncertainty for our local governments by leaving federal enforcement decisions up to each individual U.S. Attorney, resulting in what could be selective and unfair enforcement. Of greatest concern, however, is the sheer confusion felt by local officials who now face governing in a chaotic environment. While it may have been the intention to spark uncertainty for legal cannabis license holders across the nation, it also created significant confusion for local governments in thirty-one states and territories where they have comprehensive programs regulating the licensing, land-use, enforcement, and taxation of this industry.”
The move by the AG to intervene with the decision of various states to move forward with their own legalization, is not only promoting confusion but it's also a move that legal scholars have suggested is unconstitutional.
For that reason, some have even suggested that Jeff Sessions should step down from his position because of the mess that he's made over this matter.
Many doctors and investors were already nervous about getting involved in the cannabis market and the announcement that Jeff Sessions made has not made things any easier. It's prompted confusion for many doctors who have been busy calling lawmakers in order to find out what this means for the future.
The move has prompted some doctors to even turn their back on taking part in supporting medical cannabis programs, because they fear that the federal government will start to crackdown and enforce the prohibition of cannabis despite any state legalization efforts. This means that their patients aren't going to get the freedom to be given the option of possibly utilizing cannabis as a potential treatment solution.
Despite a great deal of states who have already made moves to allow either recreational or medicinal cannabis legalization, many people around the US still have a fear of making any exchange in the cannabis market thanks to federal prohibition that remains. Jeff Sessions is said to have made a significant impact in destabilizing the cannabis industry.
In an effort to arrive at some sort of solution to the confusion, there is a national coalition which is referred to as Leaders for Reform,that's made up of elected officials who are looking to have Sessions establish a group that will try to solve the problem.
That group will be tasked with trying to align federal and state cannabis legislation, to try and erode some of the confusion. As well, state leaders have also asked for assistance from Congress, specifically in trying to make changes to current legislation that prohibits banks from doing exchanges with cannabis businesses.
In just a couple of weeks, there is also a court date coming up for the lawsuit involving Jeff Sessions, along with the DOJ and DEA. And those behind the legal challenge are looking to have the federal government's stance on cannabis, deeming it a Schedule 1 substance, to be deemed unconstitutional.
Despite the confusion that remains surrounding the legalization of cannabis, it's still an incredibly lucrative market and just in Colorado alone they've seen over $1 billion in recreational cannabis sales for 2017.
Many lawmakers have made it clear that they intend to fight Sessions on this one and that they are going to stand up for the right of state lawmakers to chart their own path. This includes the AG from Washington state, Bob Ferguson. He's already declared that his office will take legal action against the Justice Department if they try to intervene with Washington's legalization market.
Pics:
Yarygin/shutterstock via reset.me
giphy
dailydot.com
ohiocitizen.org
Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/06/jeff-sessions-war-on-pot-may-become-a-war-on-small-business.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/08/jeff-sessions-marijuana-crackdown-is-a-dangerous-step-backwards-commentary.html
https://www.thecannabist.co/2018/01/31/jeff-sessions-marijuana-state-officials-letter/97940/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/307848
https://www.weednews.co/elected-officials-send-open-letter-to-jeff-sessions-about-marijuana-policy/
https://thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/ron-paul-believes-sessions-should-resign-over-marijuana-policies/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/many-doctors-are-wary-of-medical-marijuana-and-jeff-sessions-hasnt-helped/2018/02/02/45f4837a-02ef-11e8-8acf-ad2991367d9d_story.html?utm_term=.4af543c589fe
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/455170/jeff-sessions-marijuana-legalization-solution
https://www.thecannabist.co/2018/01/31/jeff-sessions-marijuana-state-officials-letter/97940/
http://southcarolinapublicradio.org/post/federal-crackdown-states-legal-marijuana-drives-private-investors-away
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/washington-ag-were-prepared-for-legal-cannabis-fight-with-feds
