US Attorney General hints a crackdown on Marijuana Legalization

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on March 02, 2017.

In his first major policy speech as the Attorney General, Jeff Sessions hinted that the Department of Justice might begin more aggressive enforcement of federal laws against recreational marijuana. He shared his views while speaking at the National Association of Attorneys General’s annual winter meeting on Tuesday.

Sessions reiterated his opposition to marijuana legalization, saying “I'm not sure we're going to be a better, healthier nation if we have marijuana sold at every corner grocery store.” He said that the agency might enforce laws in eight states and Washington, D.C., which have legalized marijuana for recreational purpose.

The Attorney General considered that violence surrounds the sale and use of marijuana in the US.

“I believe it’s an unhealthy practice, and current levels of THC in marijuana are very high compared to what they were a few years ago, and we’re seeing real violence around that,” Sessions said. “Experts are telling me there’s more violence around marijuana than one would think and there’s big money involved."

Sessions also disputed the notion that marijuana could aid in the treatment of opioid addiction, as some proponents of marijuana legalization have suggested. He called such argument as a desperate attempt to defend the harmlessness of marijuana.

Last Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested the Department of Justice would crack down on recreational marijuana while allowing states to permit certain uses of the drug for medicinal purposes.

Currently, marijuana is illegal at the federal level in the U.S., though more than half of the States have made some form of marijuana legalization, while eight of these States along with Washington D.C. have legalized marijuana for recreational purpose.

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