January 8th, 2018
Weekend News Recap
Ron Paul says Sessions should step down after marijuana decision
Former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said on Saturday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should resign from his post after reversing an Obama-era policy that paved the way for states to legalize recreational marijuana.
“He represents something that is so un-American as far as I’m concerned,” Paul, a one-time GOP presidential candidate, said on CNN’s “Smerconish.” “The war on drugs is a war on liberty.”
He said that the federal government does not have the right to “regulate the sale of drugs,” and that doing so is “constitutionally questionable.” Read more
Booker says Jeff Sessions’ ‘obsession with marijuana’ puts him ‘on the wrong side of history’
In a conversation with Yahoo News on Thursday evening, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., offered a blunt assessment of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s decision to end the federal government’s hands-off policy toward marijuana.
“He is out of step with our nation. He is on the wrong side of history just like you look back on those people who were pushing alcohol prohibition,” Booker said of Sessions. “He’s going to be looked back at as someone who was undermining and hurting this country.”
Booker predicted Sessions’s decision could lead to a “massive pushback” that could include increased support for legalization in Congress. Read more
States unhappy with rollback of hands-off federal guidelines on pot laws
Several states that allow marijuana use reacted with frustration to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ rescinding of Obama-era guidelines that established a hands-off approach to their marijuana-friendly laws.
While a number of states have decriminalized or legalized marijuana use, it is still illegal under federal law. Among the Justice Department memos, the “Cole memo” in 2013 released a directive to federal prosecutors, adopting the non-interference policy.
Federal Change on Marijuana Could Affect State
A new directive by the U.S. Attorney General for stricter enforcement on marijuana could put a damper on stalled efforts in Connecticut toward legalization, officials said Friday.
The move by Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded previous guidelines by then-President Barack Obama’s administration and placed the issue back on the front-burner under President Donald Trump.
In Connecticut, advocates have been pushing for years to legalize recreational marijuana, but they have been unsuccessful in the General Assembly. No legislative committees have approved the proposal, and the lack of support has prevented any votes in the full House or the Senate. Read more