Attorney
General Sessions says marijuana still illegal
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[September 21, 2017] By
Sarah N. Lynch
(Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff
Sessions on Wednesday criticized the legalization of marijuana in
multiple states and warned that the federal law banning use and sale of
the drug "remains in effect," remarks that could stoke fears of a
federal crackdown.
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"I've never felt that we should legalize marijuana," Sessions said
in response to a question from a reporter during a press conference
in San Diego announcing record-breaking narcotics seizures by the
U.S. Coast Guard in fiscal 2017.
"It doesn't strike me that the country would be better if it's being
sold at every street corner," he said, adding that medical
organizations oppose it and federal law prohibits it.
Since taking over the helm of the Justice Department in February,
Sessions has made drugs, violent crime and illegal immigration his
three top law enforcement priorities.
It is still unclear exactly how his opposition to marijuana
legalization will affect states such as Oregon, Washington, Colorado
and California, which are among those that have legalized the
medicinal and recreational use of pot.
During the Obama administration, former Deputy Attorney General
James Cole issued a memo spelling out the department's enforcement
policy on marijuana.
The memo said the department would continue to enforce federal drug
laws, but would not prioritize marijuana enforcement in pot-legal
states with robust regulatory regimes.
In remarks last week, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told an
audience at the Heritage Foundation that the guidance outlined in
that memo was now under review.
"We are looking at the states that have decriminalized marijuana,"
Rosenstein said.
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"I think there is some pretty significant evidence that marijuana
turns out to be more harmful than a lot of people anticipated and it
is more difficult to regulate than I think was contemplated by some
of those states. We are going to take that all into consideration
and then make a determination whether or not to revise that policy."
A task force created by a February executive order and comprised of
prosecutors and other law enforcement officials was supposed to
study marijuana enforcement, along with many other policy areas, and
issue recommendations.
The group's recommendations were due in July, but the Justice
Department has not made public what the task force determined was
appropriate for marijuana.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Tom Brown)
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