Just Say “No” to Taxpayer Funded Medical Marijuana Raids

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Justin Strekal | April 24, 2017

Since 2014, the Department of Justice has been prohibited from using taxpayers’ funds to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states that regulate its medical use.

But that could all change this week as Congress decides how to fund the federal government for the remainder of this fiscal year. 

At issue is a provision known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which maintains that federal funds can not be used to prevent states from “implementing their own state…

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Here’s how Jeff Sessions has disrupted marijuana industry with words alone

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As cannabis enthusiasts celebrate 4/20 across the country, the long shadow of the Trump Administration isn’t just a major buzz kill — it has also has sent chills across a blossoming cannabis industry and the wider decriminalization and legalization movement.

The administration has yet to crack down on enforcement of federal drug laws in its first 92 days, and as the 420 holiday weekend rambles on, the president has remained silent on the issue. Instead, he has allowed new Attorney General…

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“Marijuana is not a factor” in war on drugs, Homeland Security Secretary says

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Two high ranking Trump administration officials; two vastly different positions on marijuana.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants to revive the war on drugs, and a crackdown on weed appears to be a major part of that. He is expected to pursue harsher punishments for using and distributing marijuana, which were relaxed under President Trump’s predecessor, as The Washington Post’s Sari Horowitz has reported. “Good people don’t smoke marijuana,” Sessions opined last year.

It’s a far cry from…

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Jared Polis: Leave cannabis regulation to the states, President Trump

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Editor’s note: The Denver Post opinion pages solicited commentary from various marijuana policy and industry leaders, as well as the public, for a special cannabis-themed edition of the Sunday Perspective section the weekend before 4/20. The Cannabist will be presenting these op-eds throughout the week.

It turns out we are more the rule than the exception here in Colorado: A majority of Americans now live in an area that allows legal access to recreational or medical marijuana. You only…

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So how do you get marijuana through TSA when traveling?

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Cannabis users had a brief but intense moment of euphoria this week after the Transportation Security Administration seemed to give a green light to air travelers to pack medical marijuana in checked or carry-on luggage.

But the TSA’s apparent new acceptance of THC – which appeared on its website – went up in smoke almost as fast as news of the supposed change zipped through social media. In 24 hours or so, the TSA’s website went from green to red.

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Sessions’ right-hand man, Steven Cook, thinks Holder DOJ was “soft on crime”

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When the Obama administration launched a sweeping policy to reduce harsh prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, rave reviews came from across the political spectrum. Civil rights groups and the Koch brothers praised Obama for his efforts, saying he was making the criminal justice system more humane.

But there was one person who watched these developments with some horror. Steven Cook, a former street cop who became a federal prosecutor based in Knoxville, Tennessee, saw nothing…

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Jeff Sessions has created a task force to review federal marijuana policies

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In a memo sent this week to the U.S. attorneys, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said a task force within the Justice Department will evaluate marijuana policy as part of a larger review of crime reduction and public safety.

The Department’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety will “identify ways in which the federal government can more effectively combat illegal immigration and violent crime, such as gun crime, drug trafficking, and gang violence,” according to the memo issued…

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Why you shouldn’t be surprised that Trump loyalist Roger Stone is a champion of legal marijuana

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Roger Stone caused an internet sensation last week when he wrote a blog post on his website imploring the Trump administration not to interfere with marijuana legalization efforts.

In doing so, he criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions while invoking individual and states’ rights, industry growth and even the Bible.

“Tens of millions of Liberty minded Americans… (are) fully expecting (Trump) to end the ineffectual and wasteful War on Weed,” Stone wrote in the post titled, “Mr. President:…

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Sessions’ DOJ Reviewing Marijuana Enforcement, Governors Fight Back

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Jeff Sessions speaking at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC. (Flickr/Gage Skidmore)

Erik Altieri | April 6, 2017

This week, Attorney General Jeff “Marijuana Consumers Aren’t Good People” Sessions issued a memo outlining a requested task force inquiry into a number of public safety issues, one of which being the enforcement of federal marijuana laws.

The memo was sent to 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department of Justice component heads to provide “an update on the Department¹s Task Force on…

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DEA asks Colorado AG’s office for info on marijuana crimes, “for the new administration”

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Amid speculation about how the Trump administration will confront marijuana legalization in states such as Colorado, a Drug Enforcement Administration supervisor has sent an e-mail to a prosecutor in the state attorney general’s office seeking information, “for the new administration.”

The e-mail was sent early last month by a supervisor on the financial investigations team in the DEA’s Denver field office to Michael Melito, a senior assistant attorney general. The e-mail asks for…

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Legal Marijuana: The Sky is (Probably) Not Falling

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Legal Marijuana: The Sky is (Probably) Not Falling | Phillip Smith

Barrels of ink have been spilled over the prospect that the Trump administration could attempt to turn back the clock when it comes to legal marijuana, but for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth out there, marijuana industry insiders, advocates, and activists don’t seem all that worried. “I don’t think there’s any more reason […]

Legal Marijuana: The Sky is (Probably) Not Falling | The Daily Chronic

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Federal marijuana playbook: Trump administration’s tough talk and what we know so far

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A timeline of federal marijuana talk

It’s been one month since we heard the first public words from the Trump administration regarding marijuana. While we have yet to hear from President Donald Trump himself on this issue or the exact plans of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, there has been a lot to take in. Here’s a review of the biggest statements, the clearest responses and a handy guide to The Cannabist’s analyses and explainers.

February 23:

White House press secretary Sean Spicer takes…

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Colorado congressman says he’ll “fight the Attorney General” if need be on marijuana

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Rep. Mike Coffman is suggesting he might use the power of the purse to protect Colorado’s legal marijuana industry.

During a telephone town hall Wednesday evening the Republican congressman was asked about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ threat to crack down on states like Colorado that have legalized recreational marijuana.

Coffman noted that he opposed the ballot measures that legalized both medical and recreational marijuana in the state. But he added that since voters approved them they…

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Is Jeff Sessions at odds with President Trump on medical marijuana?

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RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jeff Sessions has repeatedly condemned the recreational use of marijuana. On Wednesday he went a step further, casting doubt on medical marijuana use.

Related: Sessions triples down on marijuana as dangerous drug, not opioid crisis solution

“I think medical marijuana has been hyped, maybe too much,” he told reporters after an event addressing violent crime in Richmond. “Dosages can be constructed in a way that might be beneficial, I acknowledge that, but if…

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Marijuana Reform Groups Respond to Attorney General’s Comments

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Jeff Sessions speaking at an event in Washington, DC. (Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore)

HWN | March 15, 2017

WASHINGTON DC — On Wednesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made several statements regarding marijuana, claiming that marijuana is “only slightly less awful” than heroin and telling reporters that “medical marijuana has been hyped, maybe too much.”

In a prepared statement, Sessions also said:

“I reject the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in every corner store.  And I…

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Sessions triples down on marijuana as dangerous drug, not opioid crisis solution

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RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday pledged aggressive criminal prosecution of drug dealers and gun-toting felons to combat what he described as a troubling rise in violent crime.

“I am determined that this country will not go backwards,” Sessions said as he addressed law enforcement officials in Richmond. “President Trump gave us a clear directive. It’s the policy of this administration to reduce crime in America, not preside over an increase in crime, but reduce…

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Jeff Sessions Claims Marijuana Only “Slightly Less Awful” Than Heroin

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Jeff Sessions speaking at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC. (Flickr/Gage Skidmore)

Phillip Smith | March 15, 2017

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions once again displayed his ignorance about drugs Wednesday as he claimed that marijuana is “only slightly less awful” than heroin. In the same speech, he acknowledged rising heroin and prescription opioid overdose death levels, but failed to note that no one dies from overdosing on marijuana.

Heroin produces physical addiction and is linked to thousands of…

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Jeff Sessions says fed marijuana approach “more complicated than one RICO case”

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Read more at The Cannabist: Jeff Sessions says fed marijuana approach “more complicated than one RICO case”

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Denver FBI honors youth program partly funded by pot taxes

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The Denver FBI honored a youth dropout prevention group Thursday, apparently without realizing it is partially funded with taxes from the marijuana industry.

The U.S. Justice Department, the FBI’s parent agency, considers the marijuana industry operating in Colorado and other states illegal, and new U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has indicated he wants stronger enforcement of federal law.

But Thursday’s episode reaffirmed that revenue from sales of the drug has gotten so widely…

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Jeff Sessions Won’t Rule Out Using Mafia Law to Go After Legal Marijuana

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Phillip Smith | March 9, 2017

On conservative radio talker Hugh Hewitt’s program Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions continued to bad mouth marijuana and suggested he might use laws enacted to go after the Mafia against the legal marijuana industry.

“I think it’s a more dangerous drug than a lot of people realize. I don’t think we’re going to be a better community if marijuana is sold in every corner grocery store,” the attorney general told Hewitt.

The conservative talker then helpfully…

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What is the Supremacy Clause and what does it mean for states’ rights to legalize marijuana?

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When it comes to laying down the law on marijuana, it’s a convoluted dispute.

Amid the renewed attention on state legalization by new Department of Justice leader Jeff Sessions, here’s a refresher.

Marijuana in the age of Trump: A Cannabist special report

Part 1 | ‘Something’s going to have to give’: An untenable conflict between feds, states

Part 2 | Federal marijuana law enforcement: What you need to know

The idea of federal preemption of state law is based on the U.S. Constitution’s…

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Marijuana in the age of Trump: An untenable conflict between feds, legalized states

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Legal weed is at a crossroads.

While some cannabis legalization proponents claim their movement has grown too big to fail, it has also proved too significant for the federal government to ignore.

The Trump administration is mulling its approach to the state-regulated systems that conflict with federal law. On Capitol Hill, conversations about legal cannabis have picked up steam.

Amid a time of unknowns surrounding federal marijuana policy, one thing is certain: The status quo is no longer…

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Five Reasons Trump Needs to Think Twice Before Waging War on Weed

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Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Ottumwa, Iowa in January, 2016. (Flickr/Evan Guest)

Phillip Smith | March 3, 2017

White House press secretary Sean Spicer‘s comment last week that we “will see greater enforcement” of federal marijuana prohibition has set off tremors in the pot industry, but it should be setting off warning bells at the White House itself.

Any move against marijuana would be politically fraught, economically foolish, and counter to some of the Trump administration’s other…

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Virginia Republican rep introduces bill to end federal marijuana prohibition

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A freshman Republican representative from Virginia introduced legislation this week that would end the federal prohibition on marijuana use and allow states to fully set their own course on marijuana policy.

The bill seeks to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act and resolve the existing conflict between federal and state laws over medical or recreational use of the drug. It would not legalize the sale and use of marijuana in all 50 states – it would simply allow states…

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US Attorney General: “We Do Not Need To Be Legalizing Marijuana”

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Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) listens to a question during confirmation hearings on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

NORML | March 2, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — Speaking to a gathering of state Attorney Generals this week, newly sworn in US Attorney General Jeff Sessions blamed recreational drug use for an alleged increase in violent crime and urged officials to reject efforts to regulate the adult use of cannabis.

Sessions disputed scientific evidence that legal cannabis access is associated with lower rates…

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Colorado AG says she has invited Jeff Sessions’ staff to see the state’s recreational marijuana system

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Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman said she has invited U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions — a  vocal marijuana opponent — and his staff to come and see the state’s recreational pot industry.

Coffman told The Denver Post that the invitation was extended during a meeting Wednesday morning in Washington with Sessions’ top staffers.

“I had a meeting there this morning and told them that I thought it was important to come to the states that have legalized marijuana,…

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Jeff Sessions to Attorneys General: “We don’t need to be legalizing marijuana”

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U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reiterated his opposition to marijuana legalization while addressing a collection of the nation’s attorneys general on Tuesday.

In responding to a question about the war on drugs, Sessions noted a rise in heroin overdose deaths and those from the painkiller fentanyl. Stating that “crime does follow drugs,” he added that in the 1970s and ’80s, many lives were destroyed by drug abuse, adding that the drugs today are more powerful.

Read the full story at The…

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Sessions: More violence around marijuana than ‘one would think’

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Read the whole story at The Cannabist.

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Hickenlooper: It’s unclear whether Trump could stop legal marijuana

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Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, as a guest on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, downplayed the possibility that the Trump administration would take aim at Colorado’s recreational marijuana industry, saying legalization’s inclusion in the state Constitution makes it unclear whether the federal government could shut it down.

“Our voters passed it 55-45. It’s in our constitution,” Hickenlooper told “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd on Sunday.

“You don’t think…

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Poll: Majority of Americans support legalization, want feds to step off

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Read the entire story at The Cannabist.

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NORML Responds to Possible Federal Crack Down on Legal Marijuana

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NORML | February 24, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested this week that the Trump administration will step up enforcement of federal laws against recreational marijuana.

“I do believe that you’ll see greater enforcement,” Spicer said, and added that the exact policy is “a question for the Department of Justice.”

The Department of Justice is lead by Jeff Sessions, a renowned ardent marijuana prohibitionist.

“If the Trump administration goes through with a…

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Memo to Congress: DEA Dumped the “Gateway-Theory” Due to Science

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Americans for Safe Access | February 23, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — Americans for Safe Access, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring safe and legal access to medical cannabis for therapeutic use and research, has sent a memo to Congress informing members that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has removed false information about cannabis from its website after months of public pressure. The memo explains:

Forty-four states now allow patients under their physician’s care to use medical…

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White House Press Secretary Hints Federal Marijuana Crackdown May Be Forthcoming

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NORML | February 23, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Thursday said that the Trump administration may engage in “greater” efforts to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in jurisdictions that have legalized and regulated its adult use.

In response to a question regarding how the administration intends to address statewide marijuana legalization laws, Spicer indicated that the administration views the regulation of marijuana for medical purposes as distinct from laws governing…

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DEA Removes Marijuana Misinformation from Website After Months of Public, Legal Pressure

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Americans for Safe Access | February 13, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — After months of public pressure, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has removed factually inaccurate information from its website.

The change comes after Americans for Safe Access, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring safe and legal access to medical cannabis for therapeutic use and research, filed a legal request with the Department of Justice last year demanding that the DEA immediately update and remove factually inaccurate…

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In the Time of Trump, Can Congress Take the Lead on Marijuana Policy?

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Phillip Smith | February 13, 2017

While the marijuana community — consumers, industry, and advocates alike — eyes with trepidation the reign of avowed anti-pot Republican Jeff Sessions at the Justice Department, the Trump executive branch isn’t the only game in town when it comes to making marijuana policy. Congress is back in session, and after last November’s legalization and medical marijuana victories at the polls, the pot state delegation is larger than ever.

And at least some of those senators and…

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Donald Trump Vows ‘Ruthless’ War on Drugs and Crime

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(Flickr/Oregon Department of Transportation)

Phillip Smith | February 13, 2017

In a sharp break with the Obama administration, which distanced itself from harsh anti-drug rhetoric and emphasized treatment for drug users over punishment, President Donald Trump last week reverted to tough drug war oratory and backed it up with a series of executive orders he said were “designed to restore safety in America.”

“We’re going to stop the drugs from pouring in,” Trump told law enforcement professionals of the…

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So We Have Attorney General Sessions. Whats Next For Marijuana?

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U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama speaking to supporters at an immigration policy speech hosted by Donald Trump at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (WikiMedia Commons/Gage Skidmore)

Justin Strekal | February 12, 2017

Despite historic opposition, members of the United States Senate voted 52 to 47 last week to approve the nomination of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for US Attorney General.

While we are disappointed with this outcome, we are pleased that several members of Congress cited the…

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What will be AG Jeff Sessions’ first move on marijuana?

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A new lawman has come to town, and the marijuana industry could be in for major upheaval.

But just how much change Attorney General Jeff Sessions might impart — and how quickly he’ll address federal marijuana enforcement — remain the multibillion-dollar question.

“It’s not like you could see agents come into every storefront in the United States tomorrow and deal with this. That’s not a reality,” drug policy expert John Hudak said Wednesday.

But if Sessions rescinds the 2013…

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Senate Votes to Confirm Jeff Sessions as US Attorney General

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Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) listens to a question during confirmation hearings on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

Drug Policy Alliance | February 8, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Senate voted 52 to 47 Wednesday to confirm Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) as Attorney General. Most Republicans voted for him; most Democrats voted against him.

The vote comes after two months of organized opposition as hundreds of organizations expressed concerns about Sessions’s record and racially-charged statements he has made in the…

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How Congress is getting serious about cannabis amid White House uncertainty

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There’s optimism brewing on Capitol Hill that Congress could maintain or even accelerate marijuana legalization’s momentum in the face of rising concerns that the industry could be snuffed out federally.

Members of a newly formed bipartisan “Cannabis Caucus” are preparing to introduce a slew of legislation — including resurrecting bills from sessions’ past — and aiming to develop a united front to further congressional action on cannabis. And weeks before the official launch of the caucus,…

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Week in Review: Canadian exports, district attorneys policy group & dispensary lawsuits

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By Omar Sacirbey, John Schroyer and Bart Schaneman

A Canadian medical marijuana company brokers another export deal, the nation’s district attorneys form a group to possibly recommend national cannabis policies, and Southern California dispensaries sue their unlicensed counterparts.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Canada builds its export lead

Tilray, a federally licensed MMJ grower in Canada, has inked another export deal, this time with Alef Biotechnology SpA, a cannabis…

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Senate Judiciary Votes to Advance ‘Drug-War Dinosaur’ Jeff Sessions as Attorney General

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Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) listens to a question during confirmation hearings on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

Drug Policy Alliance | February 1, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to advance the nomination of Jeff Sessions for Attorney General of the United States. The vote was 11 to 9, with no Democrats supporting the nominee. The nomination will now go to the Senate floor for a full and final vote.

“Jeff Sessions is a disaster for drug policy and criminal justice reform,”…

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Senate Judiciary Advances the Nomination of Marijuana Prohibitionist Jeff Sessions to be the Attorney General

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NORML | February 1, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the confirmation of Jeff Sessions to be the next US Attorney General on a party line vote of 11 to 9.

There a numerous groups in the criminal justice advocacy space, ranging from the NAACP to the ACLU who are opposed Senator Sessions becoming the nation’s top law enforcement officer for various reasons, ranging from his positions on voting rights, capital punishment, and…

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AG Nominee Sessions Responds to Marijuana Questions from Senators

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Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) listens to a question during confirmation hearings on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

The Daily Chronic Staff | January 24, 2017

Attorney General nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) has issued written responses to marijuana-related questions from several US Senators, but those answers still do not clarify the Trump Administration’s stance on marijuana legalization by states.

While on the campaign trail, President-elect Trump said that marijuana legalization was an issue for the states to…

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100,000+ Demand DEA Stop Spreading Lies About Medical Marijuana

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Americans for Safe Access | January 18, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — Over 100,000 people have signed an Americans for Safe Access petition on Change.org demanding that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) stop disseminating false information about medical cannabis immediately and ensure that all of their future information on medical cannabis treatment reflect medically-accurate, up-to-date facts.

View and sign the petition here.

Last year, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a national nonprofit organization…

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Jeff Sessions vague about marijuana strategy at AG hearing

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Under U.S. law, marijuana possession and distribution is illegal, but just how Sen. Jeff Sessions would enforce that law as the nation’s attorney general was not immediately clear Tuesday when the topic was broached in his Senate confirmation hearing.

“I won’t commit to never enforcing federal law,” Sessions said in response to Sen. Patrick Leahy’s question about conflicting federal and state marijuana laws, adding: “But absolutely, it’s a problem of resources for the…

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Jeff Sessions Confirmation Hearing Draws Mixed Reactions from Marijuana Organizations

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The Daily Chronic Staff | January 11, 2017

During his confirmation hearing for the position of Attorney General Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) avoided giving a straight answer on how he will handle states that have legalized marijuana, drawing a mixed reaction from organizations advocating for further marijuana law reform.

Erik Altieri, Executive Director of the NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, says Session’s responses could be “leaving the door open” for…

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Action Alert: Call the Judiciary Committee Today to Protect Marijuana Progress

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NORML | January 10, 2017

On January 10th and 11th, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on the nomination of Jeff Sessions to become the next Attorney General. Over the course of these two days, marijuana reformers and citizens alike from around the country will be calling members of the committee to have them ask a simple question: Does Sen. Sessions intend to respect the will of the voters in the majority of US states that have enacted to pursue alternative marijuana policies?

The stakes are high.

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Jeff Sessions Evades Firm Answer on State Marijuana Laws

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Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) listens to a question during confirmation hearings on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

Erik Altieri | January 10, 2017

During his confirmation for the position of Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions failed to give a straight answer with regard to how the Justice Department should respond to states that have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use.

The Alabama Senator was questioned by both Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) with respect to whether the principles of…

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NORML Releases Open Letter to Vice President-Elect Mike Pence on Marijuana Policy

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Indiana Governor Mike Pence addresses a news conference where he was introduced as the vice presidential running mate of Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump in New York City, U.S., July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

NORML | December 20, 2016

National NORML, Michigan NORML and dozens of other state and local chapters have released an open letter to Vice President-Elect Pence seeking clarity and common sense from the incoming administration regarding marijuana policy.

During the campaign,…

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