Trump's DOJ gears up for crackdown on marijuana

[swag]

Source: The Hill

The Trump administration is readying for a crackdown on marijuana users under Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

President Trump’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, led by Sessions, is expected to release a report next week that criminal justice reform advocates fear will link marijuana to violent crime and recommend tougher sentences for those caught growing, selling and smoking the plant.  

Sessions sent a memo in April updating the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department of Justice Department (DOJ) component heads on the work of the task force, which he said would be accomplished through various subcommittees. In the memo, Sessions said he has asked for initial recommendations no later than July 27. 

“Task Force subcommittees will also undertake a review of existing policies in the areas of charging, sentencing, and marijuana to ensure consistency with the Department's overall strategy on reducing violent crime and with Administration goals and priorities,” he wrote. 
Criminal justice reform advocates fear Sessions’s memo signals stricter enforcement is ahead.

“The task force revolves around reducing violent crime and Sessions and other DOJ officials have been out there over the last month and explicitly the last couple of weeks talking about how immigration and marijuana increases violent crime,” said Inimai Chettiar, director of the Brennan Center's Justice Program.  


Read more: http://thehill.com/regulation/administration/343218-trumps-doj-gears-up-for-crackdown-on-marijuana?soc_src=hl-viewer&soc_trk=tw

[TeamPooka]

1. Prohibition is a failed public policy, again. nt

[mpcamb]

46. Lets plant some weed on little Jeffie Beauregard and let him overnight in the D.C lock-up.

[LSFL]

2. how 1980s of them

And how stupid. And i do not partake of the hippie lettuce. But I do think it is harmless enough that people can make up their own minds.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Actually, linking marijuana to "violent crime" is more akin to the Thirties

with "Reefer Madness".

Here's the entire film if the teaser intrigued you:

[red dog 1]

32. Reefer Madness Lives...in Trump World

BLOTUS is still angry about Sessions' recusal in the Russia probe

"Citing Recusal, Trump Says He Wouldn't Have Hired Sessions"
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/politics/trump-interview-sessions-russia.html

[Dustlawyer]

43. All because the cotton industry wanted to get rid of Hemp!

The evil elf needs to toke a little and calm down!

[thecrow]

47. How does mellow turn violent?

Maybe not everyone knows that the classic stoner is laid back and too spaced (or paranoid?) to walk outside.
They are barking up the wrong tree with this attack.

[lambchopp59]

29. How Nanci Ray Gun 1980's that is.

At least in the western states I've lived, absolutely no one under 60 in the 80's was convinced by the dated 1930's "Reefer Madness" BS. All sorts of mayhem caused by alcohol, crystal meth and PCP, but pot? practically unheard of. Buy them a pizza, put on Star Trek reruns and no ambulance runs.

[LuckyLib]

3. The Titanic is going down, but they want to play around with marijuana.

All of the important issues related to crime, justice, the prison-industrial complex, the failure of the drug war, and these nit-wits want to focus on marijuana.

[potone]

11. Yes, and this will be a disaster.

This know-nothing administration is going to come up against the many states that have legalized it for medical use, if not for recreational use. They will face a huge backlash if they try to crack down on that. The whole thing enrages me. What they may not know is that the generation that uses it the most is the baby boomers who find it helpful for many medical conditions. What we need is more research on its possible uses, not a return to the failed and cruel policy of prohibition.

Doctors need to be confronting this administration's false belief that cannabis has no health benefits. IT IS NOT TRUE!!! If we want to address the opioid epidemic we should be expanding research in the pain-relieving qualities of cannabis.

[FiveGoodMen]

27. So did Holder

[Sunlei]

5. Mexico ( SA & Canada) should react quickly & legalise 100% MJ their economies will boom!

Tourism will bring them billions. I'd move my tiny bit of stock to Canada, Mexico,SA Corps right away. All except the tiny bit of "for profit" USA prison stock--that has tripled in just a couple years from all the State & Federal taxpayer money pouring in to feed that beast!

[MrScorpio]

6. This is going to be interesting...

Now that much of white Millennial Middle Class America is waist deep in weed production, marketing and use, this makes them vulnerable to a Fed crackdown. Or it should, technically.

But I doubt that Beauregard is going to go after these guys first. He's going after poor black and brown people right off the bat. But he has a problem, unlike what happened during the Crack Epidemic, with the disparity between crack and powdered cocaine fueling the disproportionate prosecution of minority users, there's no comparably visible disparity with weed.

It's ALL weed.

The only difference is what neighborhood where the weed is used, and until Beaurgard's anti-weed goons start stopping and frisking All-American types in manicured neighborhoods that have lots of disposable income, we should only consider this as nothing more than his plan to destroy the civil rights of black and brown people in this country.

When I said that this is going to be interesting, I meant that it's going to be more tragedies to happen.

[welivetotreadonkings]

7. Wonder how the 420 BernieOrBusters will feel about their protest vote then...

[calimary]

10. Welcome to DU, welivetotreadonkings!

And the Jill Stein (I'M helping Russia, TOO!!! Thanks for all that nice money, Vlad!) crowd.

[ananda]

8. This has nothing to do with marijuana or safety!

It's about putting more of the "wrong kind of people"
behind bars ..

.. and making megabucks for the private prison industry.

[Smickey]

42. And possibly restricting their vote in the doing? eom

[TDale313]

53. All of the above. n/t

[teach1st]

9. Politifact said TRUE: During campaign, Trump pledged to leave marijuana legalization up to states

TRUE: During campaign, Trump pledged to leave marijuana legalization up to states
Politifact, 2/28/17

In a television interview on July 29, 2016 with KUSA-TV in Colorado, Trump said: "I wouldn’t do that [using federal authority to shut down recreational marijuana], no … I wouldn’t do that … I think it’s up to the states, yeah. I’m a states person. I think it should be up to the states, absolutely."

In a radio interview with WWJ Newsradio 950 in Michigan on March 8, 2016, Trump said "I think it certainly has to be a state — I have not smoked it — it’s got to be a state decision … I do like it, you know, from a medical standpoint … it does do pretty good things. But from the other standpoint, I think that it should be up to the states."

At a campaign rally in Sparks, Nevada on Oct. 29, 2015, Trump said: "The marijuana thing is such a big thing. I think medical should happen — right? Don’t we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states. It should be a state situation ... but I believe that the legalization of marijuana – other than for medical because I think medical, you know I know people that are very, very sick and for whatever reason the marijuana really helps them - … but in terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state."

[red dog 1]

30. + 1

Thanks for that link

[Wellstone ruled]

12. Sheldon Adelson via his non profit,

Nathan Adelson Drug rehab center,has spent 200 million bucks on this Mafia Group in D.C.. Now Shelly and his Spouse want their pound of flesh,meaning no Marijuana any where .

[Achilleaze]

13. Since the republican AG is a known PERJURER

Maybe The Shriveled Man and his Comrades are lying about this, too?

I mean, when can you trust that a republican is telling you the truth? You really can't. Sad.

[flibbitygiblets]

14. This is an opportunity for Dem's to get easy support, many states have legal pot now

and the world hasn't come to a screeching halt. Grab a hold of message strongly, dems, and win something for once!

[roamer65]

15. Legalization states are not going to like the revenue stream being interrupted.

This is going to court.

[gldstwmn]

28. Bingo. The marijuana industry

is well funded, well informred and well represented. The Feds will have quite a fight on their hands.

[Miles Archer]

16. Marijuana increases copulation, music, TV & movies, and munchies

I'm not even addressing pain relief and medical benefits here.

I'm just countering Beauregard's "violence" claims.

Angel dust or something like it? Yeah...good chance someone is going to get hurt.

Weed?

Keep dreaming, Jeffy.

[SamKnause]

17. Fuck you !!!

Fuck everyone who wants to keep cannabis illegal.

It is a crime against humanity to outlaw this plant.

The wrong mother-fuckers are in jail.

The liars, frauds, cons, and the law enforcement that sucks at the tit of fraudulent and evil drug policies.

They are EVIL.

They have caused death and destruction for decades around the globe !!!!

Enough with the LIES !!!!

Shove your refer madness up your asses !!!!!!

[busterbrown]

18. Trump Haters?....

Gotta Love This...Reasons are Obvious... Alienation of millions of good citizebs..

[J_William_Ryan]

19. This has nothing to do with

"public safety," it's just a failed attempt to deflect from the Russia investigations.

[mountain grammy]

20. America's failed drug policies

and how we forced them on the world.. Read Chasing the Scream.

[OldRedneck]

21. Trump's rural voters will love it . . .

. . . in spite of the fact that in many Trump-voting counties of SE Kentucky, marijuana is the biggest cash crop and has been for decades.

[YOHABLO]

22. This was the first headline that I came across on DU. As I read I just begin to get more

furious as to the lame brain people that reside not only in this administration, but in this country. We live in a country of STUPIDITY! They want to take us back to the dark ages. RESIST PEOPLE .. REVOLT.

[padfun]

23. I dont think Russia should be dictating our drug policy.

[icymist]

24. This statement speaks loudly: "immigration and marijuana increases violent crime"

The obvious winners for such a policy is for-profit prisons, drug cartels, and the alt-right. This will not decrease violent crime, but make it worse.

[bora13]

25. 'lil does he know

how many of his t-rumpian voters smoke and sell the shit on the black market.

i guess they won't matter much either.

t-rump was brought on for want of a monarchy.

[Binkie The Clown]

26. That's right. Give control of Marijuana back to the drug cartels where it belongs. n/t

[Alice11111]

31. Me thinks he has no idea what he's up against now, not 1980s

Dear AG Sessions, we aren't in Alabama in the 1980s anymore, where all of the kids are given the Nancy Reagan , " Just say No" tshirts on the first day of school and auditoriums are filled with students listening to the horrors of drugs, when no distinction is made between them.

Update to 2017: tour the states and countries where it is legal. It's your job, due diligence, not just an old southetn prejudice out of your butt. You don't just represent Alabama anymore, but the whole USA, including Alaska and Hawaii, one state red, and one blue, but they both love their pot. Yep, even in gun crazy Alaska, they love their guns AND their pot.

Prohibition is almost over. In intelligent areas, it is over.
It is the largest US crop. Billions and billions of dollars are made here. Small businesses depend on it. Medical patients and vets depend on it's medicinal value.

Get to work. Learn the facts and landscape before you jump off this cliff.

[pecosbob]

33. Genie's out of that bottle

since the State of Colorado has amassed some 600 million dollars in revenue.

[bdtrppr6]

34. oh and yes

please see Oregon and Washington. haven't seen any recent numbers but the tax revenue will be a major issue. and you haven't seen "weed-related violence" like what you will see if they shut it down!

[Puzzler]

35. Here we go...

... right on cue. Time for a distraction, eh?

OK, let's go for that brilliant idea, and start filling up the already jam-packed jails with (gasp!) pot-smokers.

Well good luck with that. I'm not American, but if I were, I'd hope that a significant percentage of the population take out a joint and smoke it! Good luck jailing tens of millions of those "pot fiends".

And to those states that have legalized cannabis. I hope they openly defy the Trump administration. Including governors such as Jay Inslee of Washington State... who British Columbians (including myself) are PROUD to call our neighbor!

Furthermore, my country Canada, is set to legalize canabbis on July 1st 2018. Thank you Justin Trudeau!

And I hope that Canada, and those states, are a thorn so far up Session's backside, it comes out of his fucking mouth!!!

OK, rant over

-Puzzler

[red dog 1]

36. Hey BLOTUS, How About a Crackdown on Organized Crime?

How about a crackdown on voter suppression?

How about a crackdown on corporate and billionaire tax cheats? (Like yourself)

How about a crackdown on crack cocaine, Heroin, and Meth labs?

How about a REAL "crackdown" on violent crime? (which has absolutely NOTHING to do with MJ)

[Vinca]

37. What a fucking waste of time and money.

[BumRushDaShow]

38. "States Rights!!!!11!!!!"

(unless it's not the GOP's hypocritical christo-fascist version of the world)

[bluecollar2]

39. simple Democratic party/Democrat talking point

This is designed to do two things...

1) the private prison industry has a guaranteed occupancy rate that needs filling

2) the asset forfeiture/seizure program is gonna fund it...

So if you get busted using or holding or dealing pot you're guaranteed to do time.

Doesn't matter what the quantity is...

[EL34x4]

40. LOL! This might be how Trump loses his base.

Took a peek over at that other site and almost every poster is against this.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3571354/posts

Looks like a lot of them have really had it with Jeff Sessions.

[lordsummerisle]

41. From The Hill

Legislation introduced last month by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Paul introduced — known as the The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act — would amend federal law to allow states to set their own medical marijuana policies.

Anyone know the status of this bill?

[trueblue2007]

44. HE LIED AGAIN. His campaign pledges mean NOTHING !!!

HE LIED AGAIN. His campaign pledges mean NOTHING !!! He only said that stuff so "THOSE GUYS" would vote for him !!!!!!

[mahina]

45. Who profits?

Who pays?

There is no way this two bit shyster is prioritizing something that doesn't benefit him or his personally.

Fucker.

[jmowreader]

48. Draft of the report

The Justice Department Task Force on Merry Jew Wanna has found, through long and arduous research, that merry jew wanna smoking leads to indifference in school work, hysterical fits of laughing, fast piano playing and shooting your girlfriend. This violent narcotic is a plague on humanity and our task force is taking steps to eradicate it forever.

[duhneece]

49. Veterans and others suffering from PTSD are often helped by marijuana

Society is helped by marijuana when folks choose marijuana over alcohol, heroin, pharmaceutical pain pills, anti depressants, etc. but it is the veterans in their many organizations that I hope will stand up against this policy.

[truthisfreedom]

50. State's rights.

[sharedvalues]

51. Nixon: war on drugs a political tool to fight blacks, opposition

Obligatory quote from Nixon white house, every time Sessions implements policies that target minorities:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richard-nixon-drug-war-blacks-hippie/index.html

One of Richard Nixon's top advisers and a key figure in the Watergate scandal said the war on drugs was created as a political tool to fight blacks and hippies, according to a 22-year-old interview recently published in Harper's Magazine.

"The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people," former Nixon domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman told Harper's writer Dan Baum for the April cover story published Tuesday.
"You understand what I'm saying? We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities," Ehrlichman said. "We could arrest their leaders. raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did."
Ehrlichman's comment is the first time the war on drugs has been plainly characterized as a political assault designed to help Nixon win, and keep, the White House.

And when Ehrlichman says "hippies", the modern term is "liberals". I.e., us.

[raging moderate]

52. They THINK their dear little right-wingers never smoke grass!

I foresee a steep learning curve.