Donald Trump is enforcing federal pot laws to criminalize legal pot in States that held referendums to legalize it. This is the epitome of stupidity. This shows that Donald Trump is also on the CIAs side of the war on drugs by outlawing pot while promoting cocaine and opiates.
If he only had a brain. The LA Times is reporting that "Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions ended an Obama-era federal policy that provided legal shelter for marijuana sales in California and five other states that have allowed recreational pot, placing at risk thousands of marijuana businesses operating legally under state laws." Filling the prisons with people who smoke or grow pot is a complete waste of tax dollars. The Washington Post is reporting that "Police arrest more people for marijuana use than for all violent crimes - combined."
I think we have gone through the negative effects of marijuana on this blog previously - both personally and socially.
ReplyDeleteEnsuring any substance that is misused, is not legal, is not a bad thing.
Pot is bad for you like smoking cigarettes or alcohol but it's nothing compared to crack, meth or fentanyl. This policy is insane. He is a lunatic. It shows why he went against the democratic will of the people in Honduras just like Hillary Clinton did.
DeleteThis is much more Sessions doing than Trump.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks Trump has control of that snake in the woodpile needs to re-examine the events of the last year, Sessions screwing Trump by recusing himself from any Russia investigation when there was really no reason to do so, and slow rolling any swamp drainage except stuff that really couldn't be ignored or could be used to distract from people at the top. "Anthony Wiener".
I'd suggest this has little to do with any one's attitude towards drugs but more to do with politics. California, the world's 7th largest economy just legalized pot. the Republicans are not fond of California or their Govenor, who when he attends some environmental conferances around the world is referred to as President Brown. Upp.......he is seen as a world leader in some circles.
ReplyDeleteTrump and Sessions have said they will defund sanctuary cities. Many of them are in California. with a new tax on legalized pot, any with holding of funds for California will have a smaller impact. going after pot producers will reduce the amount of income the State of California has and the Republicans think that will force them to give up Sanctuary cities, same for Washington State and the State of Oregon.
Then there is the not so small issue of private prisons. Sessions has been clear, he wants to re-open them. They do make big contributions to the Republicans. to open them up again, they need "guests" How better to get them by jailing people who manufacture, sell, consume pot. They are easy to catch and convict.
Many of these charges they lay will disenfranchise people, they won't get to vote and if they can't vote, the Republicans will have a better chance of staying in office.
These types of arrests will target people of colour, who the Republicans aren't fond of on their best day. As it currently stands there are approx. a million people of colour in jail. It is not that they commit more crime, its they get longer sentences. its a move to further destroy families of colour.
if pot legalization reduces the cost of jailing people and it has a real impact on state budgets, some States may decide to de criminalize drugs. That would put a huge dent in the private prison industry, those who sell police and prisons equipment, etc. I could see California saving a load of tax dollars and then deciding to de criminalize drugs. If that happens, all bets are off in other states. Only the Rich Republicans are allowed to use drugs and booze to excess.
Going after legalized pot is simply a matter of trying to make private prison corporations happy along with other vested interests in illegal pot and that includes huge numbers of organized crime people.
If you're interested in what Sessions is up to, read Legal Schauzzer. That blog has been on to Sessions and his buddies for years and that mess in Alabama is just putrid. A couple of years ago, the blogger, Roger Schuler, was imprisoned for his writings. At the time he was the only journalist in the western hemisphere who was in jail for his writing. Welcome to Alabama politics and I would conclude most of it is controlled by Jeff Sessions.