For those who have been partaking in the United States' newfound influx of legal marijuana options, especially for those seeking it out to aid in battles against severe medical conditions, Jeff Sessions has just put a huge roadblock in the way.
According to NBC, current Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave lawyers operating in the U.S. the go-ahead to "aggressively enforce federal laws against marijuana," even in those select states where it is already legal to possess or use the substance. This is being seen as a huge reversal of policy that the Obama administration had put into place to protect legalized marijuana from unnecessary federal interference and, in the process, allowed the pot industry to flourish financially (think of all the tax dollars Mr. Sessions).
In a three paragraph memo that is available on the Justice Department's website, Sessions wrote that "the previous issuance of guidance undermines the rule of law and the ability of our local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners to carry out this mission." In his mind, Sessions is simply directing "all U.S. Attorneys to use previously established prosecutorial principles that provide them all the necessary tools to disrupt criminal organizations, tackle the growing drug crisis, and thwart violent crime across our country."
There has already been some severe backlash in response to his decision, including from Cory Gardner, who threatened to hold up DOJ matters unless Sessions reconsiders his stance on legal marijuana. The Colorado Senator will surely not be the last person on Capitol Hill to fight back against the Attorney General's decision.
