Jeff Sessions vs. Mary Jane

Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave federal prosecutors the green light to enforce federal marijuana laws in states where cannabis has been legalized in some form. In a statement, Sessions — a longtime opponent of legalization — said the Obama-era memos that directed prosecutors not to interfere with state activities when it came to legal pot undermined the rule of law.

Source

OnHealth.com

Every Libertarian page and blog I follow is reacting to this news like the world is coming to a fiery end. So I thought maybe it was time for me to discuss it as well.

I am not a pot smoker. I don't have any desire to be a pot smoker. And I think pot has effects on the brain people don't want to admit. However. I do believe pot has medical benefits, and I also believe that if people want to use it for recreational purposes, they should be allowed to. I am also a supporter of state's rights, having many times responded to questions of "should something be legal or not" as "it should be left up to the states." 

Needless to say, I believe the memo to not interfere with state activities towards legalizing pot that Obama put out was one of the things he got right. And, let's face it... 1. legal or not, they are obviously getting it anyway and giving money most likely to drug cartels and 2. legally purchased pot is going to be more likely to be unlaced with weird stuff. You never really know what criminal dealers are lacing their stuff with to keep you coming back. At least from a regular shop, you have a better chance of knowing there isn't window cleaner or cocaine or something in there, too. 

But I also believe those fighting to legalize pot should leave smokers and vapers alone, too. If pot is fine, so are cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. No, pot isn't completely harm free, no matter how often you say it. But the risk should be yours to take. 

​According to Pew Research:

---

As in the past, there are wide generational and partisan differences in views of marijuana legalization. Majorities of Millennials (70%), Gen Xers (66%) and Baby Boomers (56%) say the use of marijuana should be legal. Only among the Silent Generation does a greater share oppose (58%) than favor (35%) marijuana legalization.
​
Nearly seven-in-ten Democrats say marijuana use should be legal, as do 65% of independents. By contrast, just 43% of Republicans favor marijuana legalization, while 55% are opposed.

This is one of those issues I always had an opinion on, but never really saw as a huge issue. It's one of the things that always irritated me about the libertarian party - they made legal pot a huge issue. With all the countless issues we have in this country, pot just wasn't that high on my priority list. We actually had a libertarian candidate for governor here who ran actual TV ads for his campaign... and they were all about pot. Nothing else, just pot. That same guy, this past year, tried to get his dog elected mayor (he also has a degree from MIT but delivers pizza for a living, so that should tell you something). 

However, with all the issues in this country right now, pot shouldn't be that high on the priority list for Jeff Sessions, either. The fact that it became legal in California - the 8th state to make it legal for recreation (29 states allow it for medical use) - at the first of the year has brought it to the forefront again. 

I completely understand the opioid epidemic. That is a priority, and it does cause major issues for a lot of people. But pot? I don't remember ever hearing a legitimate story of someone overdosing on pot. Doing stupid crap on pot? Sure. But it's the same stupid crap people do on alcohol, and prohibiting that worked out real well. 

If nothing else, pot should be considered for medical use. According to this, pot can help with things like glaucoma, epileptic seizures, it can assist with stopping the spread of some cancers, it reduces anxiety, can slow Alzheimers, eases the pain of multiple sclerosis, and more. 

The bottom line is that pot is easy to get legal or not. If a state chooses to make it legal, it brings in tax revenue and helps make it a safer activity for those who use it. It can also bring back quality of life for people suffering from various ailments. Obama was right to not get in the way of states that chose to make it legal. And I think on this one... Jeff Sessions is pushing towards the wrong thing. There are bigger fish to fry, let's let this one go. 

Try AmazonFresh Free Trial