AG Jeff Sessions’ decision to stop protecting states where pot is legal
“Feds shift pot policy,” Jan. 5 news story.
On Thursday it was announced that the U.S. Department of Justice will stop protecting states that have voted to legalize marijuana. My simple question is if the administration’s position is that abortion, transgender rights and gay marriage (plus everything else) must be controlled by the states, why does a natural plant need to be controlled by the federal government? What is so bad about this God-created plant that man must impose ridiculous punishments on others who use it? Legalization, both medically and recreationally, has been very successful in the states that have done so. In addition, it is a relatively large economic boost for those states. Congress, will you do something about this or do we have to wait for the cannabis lobbyists to buy you out? ●●●
The decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions with regards to marijuana enforcement flies in the face of de- mocracy and good public health policy.
The majority of citizens in the U.S. live in states that have voted to legalize marijuana either for medical use our for recreational use, so Sessions’ actions are un-democratic and autocratic.
The basis for his actions, which is that marijuana is dangerous and leads to abuse of more serious drugs, is not supported by science. In fact, states with legalized marijuana have experienced a drop in opioid use. There is a growing body of evidence that marijuana is an effective treatment for a variety of disease symptoms, ranging from epilepsy to AIDS.
The voters of Colorado have clearly made their choice on this issue. It has also become a critical part of our state’s economy. It is Congress’ responsibility to rein in Sessions. I expect our members of Congress to work hard to have him removed and to de-schedule marijuana so that the enforcement he contemplates becomes irrelevant.
Sen. Cory Gardner deserves no credit for admitting to being hoodwinked by Attorney General Jeff Sessions over marijuana. It’s an embarrassment that a Colorado senator displayed such naiveté and took a historically dishonest administration at its word.
Gardner’s reaction is empty in light of his lack of any action on the issues with state legalization. Where is Gardner’s push for a legislative solution? Why did he give away leverage on this issue with a handshake? Uncertainty is already the marijuana industry’s greatest hurdle. Gardner continues to support an uncertain future.
His response to withhold confirmation of Department of Justice staff seems at best punitive. At worst, it looks like Gardner is returning a favor to an administration that has routinely left government positions unstaffed.
Gardner has stated that he’s put aside his personal convictions to support legal marijuana in Colorado. So is he naïve, ineffective, or just lying? Send letters of 150 words or fewer to openforum@denverpost.com or 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 800, Denver, CO, 80202. Please include full name, city and phone number. Contact information is for our purposes only; we will not share it with anyone else. You can reach us by telephone at 303-954-1331.