WASHINGTON Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding the Obama-era policy that had paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. Sessions will instead let federal prosecutors where pot is legal decide how aggressively to enforce federal marijuana law, the people said.
The people familiar with the plan spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it before an announcement expected Thursday.
The move by President Donald Trumps attorney general likely will add to confusion about whether its OK to grow, buy or use marijuana in states where pot is legal, since long-standing federal law prohibits it. It comes days after pot shops opened in California, launching what is expected to become the worlds largest market for legal recreational marijuana and as polls show a solid majority of Americans believe the drug should be legal.
While Sessions has been carrying out a Justice Department agenda that follows Trumps top priorities on such issues as immigration and opioids, the changes to pot policy reflect his own concerns. Trumps personal views on marijuana remain largely unknown.
Sessions, who has assailed marijuana as comparable to heroin and has blamed it for spikes in violence, had been expected to ramp up enforcement. Pot advocates argue that legalizing the drug eliminates the need for a black market and would likely reduce violence, since criminals would no longer control the marijuana trade.
The Obama administration in 2013 announced it would not stand in the way of states that legalize marijuana, so long as officials acted to keep it from migrating to places where it remained outlawed and out of the hands of criminal gangs and children. Sessions is rescinding that memo, written by then-Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole, which had cleared up some of the uncertainty about how the federal government would respond as states began allowing sales for recreational and medical purposes.
The pot business has since become a sophisticated, multimillion-dollar industry that helps fund schools, educational programs and law enforcement. Eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and Californias sales alone are projected to bring in $1 billion annually in tax revenue within several years.
Sessions policy will let U.S. attorneys across the country decide what kinds of federal resources to devote to marijuana enforcement based on what they see as priorities in their districts, the people familiar with the decision said.
Sessions and some law enforcement officials in states such as Colorado blame legalization for a number of problems, including drug traffickers that have taken advantage of lax marijuana laws to hide in plain sight, illegally growing and shipping the drug across state lines, where it can sell for much more. The decision was a win for pot opponents who had been urging Sessions to take action.
There is no more safe haven with regard to the federal government and marijuana, but its also the beginning of the story and not the end, said Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, who was among several anti-marijuana advocates who met with Sessions last month. This is a victory. Its going to dry up a lot of the institutional investment that has gone toward marijuana in the last five years.
Threats of a federal crackdown have united liberals who object to the human costs of a war on pot with conservatives who see it as a states rights issue. Some in law enforcement support a tougher approach, but a bipartisan group of senators in March urged Sessions to uphold existing marijuana policy. Others in Congress have been seeking ways to protect and promote legal pot businesses.
A task force Sessions convened to study pot policy made no recommendations for upending the legal industry but instead encouraged Justice Department officials to keep reviewing the Obama administrations more hands-off approach to marijuana enforcement, something Sessions promised to do since he took office.
The change also reflects yet another way in which Sessions, who served as a federal prosecutor at the height of the drug war in Mobile, Alabama, has reversed Obama-era criminal justice policies that aimed to ease overcrowding in federal prisons and contributed to a rethinking of how drug criminals were prosecuted and sentenced. While his Democratic predecessor Eric Holder told federal prosecutors to avoid seeking long mandatory minimum sentences when charging certain lower level drug offenders, for example, Sessions issued an order demanding the opposite, telling them to pursue the most serious charges possible against most suspects.
You do realize that Sessions' stance on this is diametrically opposed to Trump's, right?
No, I dont.
Is this just another of your infamous drive-by and drop-off comments to stir shit you are notoriously known for....never furnishing any confirming validations, only links to the opinions of others.?
So, since I dont know....will you please explain Trumps current stance on marijuana and show exactly what he said....and not what someone says he said. Except of course what Sarah Huckabee Sanders said today. I will accept that since it is her job to speak for Trump....a job which she performs excellently.
That damned Sessions cost me a pretty penny today. Every marijuana STOCK, plummeted today. I had my money almost doubled in 2.5 weeks... and now I'm only up about 15%.
I've gotta say, I'm not, nor have I ever been a fan of the federal government out trumping states rights (unless it's a national security issue like sanctuary cities).
I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
That damned Sessions cost me a pretty penny today. Every marijuana STOCK, plummeted today. I had my money almost doubled in 2.5 weeks... and now I'm only up about 15%.
A temporary bump. Sessions only rescinded 0bama DoJ's deprioritization order. You still have to find a federal prosecutor in one of the pro-pot states to prosecute a case. So far, no takers and no fed in those states seems likely to pursue these cases.
DENVER (AP) US attorney in Colorado: No change to marijuana enforcement despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions' shift on pot policy
"In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state," Trump told The Washington Post. " Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should happen right? Dont we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states."
He has also expressed support for medical marijuana, telling Bill O'Reilly in February that he's, "in favor of medical marijuana 100%."
"I know people that have serious problems and they did that they really it really does help them," Trump said.
Truth is treason in the empire of lies. - Ron Paul
Those who most loudly denounce Fake News are typically those most aggressively disseminating it.
Keep your holdings, consider increasing your investment.
Yeah, I'm not changing course... and I am gonna buy more while it's down. Even with the sell off, only one stock is lower than what I paid. I still have my original investment... what I lost was all my gain.
I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
You do realize that Sessions' stance on this is diametrically opposed to Trump's, right? No, I dont. Well, you sure don't seem to know much about your boy then, do you? Here's where President-elect Donald Trump stands on marijuana legalization
Well, you sure dont know how to keep up with latest policy changes, do you?
Yeah - Tom Parsons, Winston Smith's neighbor in the book "1984"
On the surface, Tom Parsons is a simple character. As a reader, we do not get to know him on a personal level. All we know about him is that he is a fervent believer in the doctrine of Big Brother and that his daughter turns him in to the Thought Police.
He is also, according to Winston, fat and sweats copious amounts. However, he is crucial to the story in that he is the embodiment of the mindset of the Party members. He is fervently devoted to Big Brother, a fact which Winston despises him for.
His entire family is the model of a perfect family: a son and a daughter who are ardent supporters of Big Brother and who are Spies.
Parsons also fits the ideals of Big Brother in that he constantly leads community hikes and activities, and is the treasurer for his block for Hate Week. His doublethink is beyond reproach, as he follows the sudden change of enemy in the war without missing a beat. Living conditions are by our modern standards horrible, but Parsons does not complain.
When he is turned into the Thought Police, he is grateful that he is caught before he causes any damage to the Party society. He is even proud of his daughter for having the intelligence to turn him in.
All in all, Parsons is the embodiment of Big Brother's ideal Outer Party member.
Truth is treason in the empire of lies. - Ron Paul
Those who most loudly denounce Fake News are typically those most aggressively disseminating it.
I dunno, you two dabbling in pot stocks, next thing you two will be spamming the LF sidebar with those FreeOfThoughtProject articles, just like Deckard.
I'm beginning to think Sessons might have made a terrific AG 10 years ago. But I think age has slowed him, all around. Trump needed a stronger AG, I think.
I'd join the crowd wanting him to resign as A.G. but I'm afraid we'd end up with Attorney General Crispy Creme. Yeow.
#28. To: Gatlin aka the USA AF tater peeler, AKA Stone (#23)
After you check this page out....then on GO TO drop down, select Performance Report.
You claim to day trade in your old age sucking the American People dry of their hard earned tax payer money. Now, you are offering "tips" as though you are an authority in sum sort of way on a publick chit-chat channel as a stock advisor.
Before you ask me about any of my concerns, why don't you reflect upon yourself; as an example the idea that you are sum sort of wannabe, windoze guru to create all kinds of not just silly remarks but STUPID remarcks over Liberator's bs windoze?
You are unbelievable in attempts to upsize your ideas. In fact, you have proven yourself to be totally disgusting.
I am not into pot stocks. I bought two pot stocks for a trial look see and I was in them only for a very short time. I am a Swing Trader and I go in and out of no fewer than 20 stocks in one day. Right now I am sitting with 32 stocks in my portfolio waiting for the market to open on Monday. Its not that pot stocks were too volatile for my type trading, its just that there are only a couple or more pot stocks on the NYSE and AMEX. The rest are on different exchanges which do not permit stop orders. Since it is difficult for me to monitor so many stocks at one time. I must rely on stop orders for loss prevention. I post on LF during the day when there is a lull in my actions. I do most of my research at night and that is why you may notice I post on LF at odd hours sometimes, all during the night.
Whle I am not into pot stocks, I am into stocks that I call double bangers so I can safely have it both ways. For example Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (SMG) is a dual play stock for me. I was into it pretty heavily until the Sessions Scare kicked in the other day and my stop loss order at 96% kick me out of it. It is one that remains on my computerized watch list so I still automatically follow it throughout the day and I will no doubt buy back into it soon. It doesnt matter at what point I buy in. Besides being a swing trader, I am also considered a momentum trader. As long as a stock gains 1% in one day and 5% in the past five days....I am a buyer and immediately place a stop loss order. Sometimes it is hard to find the amount of those stocks I need to have in one day, so I do have to adjust those perimeters. My minimum entry point into a particular stock is that the graph show constant upwards movement with at least two gain days.
I constantly move my stop loss orders up each time the stock moves up at always only a 4% loss factor. I never place a sell order, I let my stop loss order automatically take care of that if and when the stock drops 4%. My biggest goal is to preserve capital. That may sound stupid for someone who wants to make money off stocks. But it is a great principle. I started using it many years ago....long before I saw the trading gurus preaching it on the Internet.
There is no doubt more here that you wanted, or needed, to know....but I had the time and I just started to ramble since I have nothing to do at this moment. Please forgive me if I have bored you.
DISCLAIMER: I am neither a registered stock broker nor a registered financial adviser and all the information I posted to you here is in no way to be considered as recommendations. Its just that you sounded interested, so I decided to share some personal information with you....thats all.
I'm beginning to think Sessons might have made a terrific AG 10 years ago. But I think age has slowed him, all around. Trump needed a stronger AG, I think.
I have considered this a few times with relatively the same outlook. But then I stop when I evaluate the situation and believe that Sessions is just being Sessions. That means I think he is no publicity seeker who is always looking for the limelight in TV news cameras. He just goes about doing the job in the way he always has....a slow but thorough and methodically painstaking manner. Sessions deliberately considered actions makes me think to compare him to the old bull in the young bull and old bull parable. If I may, I will share the story with you ...
An old bull and a young bull stand on a hillside, overlooking a pasture. The young bull says to the old bull, Hey, lets run down and fuck one of those heifers. The old bull replies, lets walk down and fuck em all.
For the people who condemn Sessions or want him removed because of age, I am reminded of another bovine story I compare them to. I will also, if permitted, share that one with you.
A farmer has two old bulls and, feeling theyve lost their exuberance, buys a young bull. As the young bull begins industriously mounting one cow after another in the pasture, one of the old bulls starts pawing the ground and snorting. Whats the matter, says the other. You getting young ideas? No, replies the first bull. I dont want that young fellow to think Im one of the cows!
If you think there is a moral in that story, dont....its just a simple joke.
There is no doubt more here that you wanted, or needed, to know....but I had the time and I just started to ramble since I have nothing to do at this moment. Please forgive me if I have bored you.
I've known several guys who follow a similar philosophy and trading pattern. One has done very well with it in currency trading. My brother has done pretty well with a similar trading pattern.
I like hearing what others use as their metric for deciding when to buy and when to sell.
#36. To: buckeroo, aka the jealous Belize dweller, A K A Stone (#28)
I make no claims to anything. History is filled with examples to show that Lifes winners deal in facts and not claims. I consider myself to be a lifes winner since I was able to go into full retirement in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the ripe industrious young age of 41. And here I am today still living the dream having passed 84 years of age and be able to thoroughly enjoy it. The reason why I am able to enjoy it, I will leave to the conjectures of your pot-warped mind. Pssst....think acronyms: NYSE and AMEX.
Your repeatedly overuses of hyperbole as poorly devised attempts of your jealous cleverness when referring to the military retirement income I deservedly earned....are exaggerated statements that have no validity and therefore simply must be ignored. As with most of your statements, they are boring and, consequently, a waste of time. For, being the intelligent, well-reasoned individual I am, I know that correlation does not equal causation and you should also. But since you choose to deal only in covetous and wishful thinking, you must come to know as we all know, what they say about wishful thinking is true: If wishes were fishes wed all cast nets.
Your need to always talk shit as a preamble to each unsuccessful envious driven comparative post you make to me never attracts or holds my interest and that is why I choose to laughingly ignore responding to them. The reason I choose to do so is no doubt because you do it so badly that Ive found it best to keep my keyboard responses at rest although I could come up with real zingers.
I will leave now by sharing the mental picture I have of you each time while reading your posts. I see you sitting in front of your computer and gesticulating at the keys on your keyboard with your gnarled ham hands while growling at unseen posters on the screen who cannot hear you as you failing try to go head-to-head in a series of mental obstacle-course challenges, declaring random things to be badass. That mental picture is probably in reality a true and quite repulsive sight.
#37. To: buckeroo, aka the envious Belize dweller, Tooconservative (#30)(Edited)
You are unbelievable in attempts to upsize your ideas. In fact, you have proven yourself to be totally disgusting.
I cannot believe that you as a hater can feel better and elevated somehow, by continually putting other people down.
I know you have no belief in the Bible, but I will share a verse anyway so that others may read it:
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Romans 2:1 - New International Version.
Even taking that message out of Biblical context and putting it into everyday language to paraphrase, its still a good message.
I will do so now by saying:
Your saying things of disparagement and judging TC does no define who he is; it defines who you are.
Obviously it hit a nerve when I asked bucky, "Why would you care about Americans?".
Yea, and obviously since becoming a Belizean and turning his back on America....this has brought out a certain generic disposition in him so that he has become more adverse to a challenge.
What this Belizean thinks, says and does now in America or about Americans matters only to him and no one else.
Your question was proper in context and your surmise was indeed true.
Do as I do, pay him no mind or heed. The blabbering idiot was born to be ignored.
He made his own wicked God forsaken personal decision to leave the shores of OUR beautiful America.
He is now simply another forlorn soul without a country drifting aimlessly in his never ending search for his mythical libertarian Shangri La.