Trump Appoints Anti-Marijuana Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General

[CarolKing]

What Jeff Sessions Could Mean for Legal Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on November 22, 2016 at 15:32:19 PT
By Mike McPhate
Source: New York Times

​

California -- President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to lead the Justice Department has roiled California’s emerging marijuana industry. Just as supporters of marijuana legalization were celebrating voters’ approval of the recreational use of the drug in the state, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama entered the picture as Mr. Trump’s choice for attorney general.
Cannabis is illegal under federal law, and if Mr. Sessions were to be confirmed, many supporters of legalization worry that his past remarks about marijuana could portend a crackdown.

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(1 Comment)

 

[t-dub]

Well, instead of worrying about what he might do, let's see what he does do. Governing is way different than winning elections.

 

[jirodreamsofbooty]

Usual counters to people expressing fear and dismay - "Trump doesn't care"/"it will hurt (insert state)'s economy"/"legal weed is an economic boon"/"not worth expending political capital"

1 - if Trump delegates a great deal of public policy - as he apparently intends to do - that makes the AG far more powerful than normal AND means that the AG's ideology matters as much or more than Trump's

2 - it won't hurt the national economy in any notable way (this ties into 4 as well)

3 - private prisons alone, today, are worth 5-10X a legal cannabis economy including California. Throw in big pharma and liquor/tobacco and you have three industries who dwarf the potential cannabis economy of 2018.

4 - what political capital? Trump and the Republicans have nothing to lose pissing off Washington or California, they won't win those states in 2020 come hell or high water. The majority of Republicans are opposed to ending prohibition, by a decent margin - so no worries with the base. States' rights? Always a sham, states' rights end when they interfere with either party's preferred policies - whether that's guns or gay marriage or weed.

On a side note, it's worth considering that Trump got a boatload of cash from Sheldon Adelson at the end of the campaign. If a donor of that size ($30mn-plus) decides to call in a favor, do you expect any politician to ignore him?

In a more cynical mindset, ending prohibition also means far fewer people catching felonies and losing voting rights and I strongly suspect (coughcough) the people that hurts the most are not a prime GOP demographic.

 

[Tranquility]

States' rights? Always a sham, states' rights end when they interfere with either party's preferred policies - whether that's guns or gay marriage or weed.

While I agree with the reality of the sentiment, I believe federalism is the only way we can survive in the long term. There are too many social and financial experiments at the federal level and all we have are vague theories about what is best. Having 50 labs to do the experiments they feel best and having people vote with their feet about how those labs are doing the experiments, can lead to the best results possible.

 

[Baron23]

Well, instead of worrying about what he might do, let's see what he does do. Governing is way different than winning elections.

That's no fun..not when we could alternatively work ourselves into a hysterical lather. LOL

 

[CarolKing]

States rights has gotten us where we are on medical and legal cannabis today. If we would have waited for the federal government we would still be waiting. All the good medical cannabis is, we wouldn't even know the half of it. So much has evolved in the cannabis industry because of the medical cannabis. I am thankful to the pioneers that have started these strains that we enjoy and help us today.

It started with amendments to the state's law with voters petitions back in the early 90s granting us to use medical cannabis to treat our diseases. 1998 is when medical became legal in WA state. CA was before WA.

We can't sit and wait for the Feds. I think those legal states need to enjoy their freedom and bide their time until we know what this administration is going to do. Don't make too many waves just yet.

My brother made the comment the other day that Trump will try to get back at the west coast by taking our weed away - we didn't vote for him.

I keep thinking Trump is dangling the Sec of States job in front of Romney and when he says he wants the job then Trump will take it away. Only wanting to see Mitt grovel.

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

Just recalled that filibuster can no longer be used for executive appointees. Sessions can be confirmed by simple majority in the Senate. All the more reason to contact your Senators.

 

[grokit]

All of the appointees can be confirmed by simple majority, along with the federal judgeships that congress has been holding up; almost like somebody knew it was a done deal that tyranny would be coming.

Without republicans crossing the isle, there's nothing that a minority opposition can do about it.

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

Indeed, but Sessions was already denied a federal judgeship by a Republican controlled Senate, so there's hope. And Dems can still filibuster legislation.

almost like somebody knew it was a done deal that tyranny would be coming.

Blockade a president to provoke his own party into the nuclear option only to use it against them? As brilliant as it is evil.

 

[grokit]

I don't think the democratic party leadership is very broken up about losing to trump. In fact, a trump-led administration more closely aligns with their corporatist agenda than sanders administration would have.

 

[Baron23]

All of the appointees can be confirmed by simple majority, along with the federal judgeships that congress has been holding up; almost like somebody knew it was a done deal that tyranny would be coming.

You do realize that this was Harry Reid and the Democrat party's action, right? They are the ones who pulled the trigger on the 'nuclear' option.

If this was done in anticipation of tyranny, it would not be Trump or the Republican party's tyranny.

Cheers

 

[grokit]

If this was done in anticipation of tyranny, it would not be Trump or the Republican party's tyranny.

This is part of a longstanding agenda whose ideology goes beyond the political parties. It is the ideology of the people that control both parties, the banks, the weapons, the prisons, the poisons and the wars.

 

[jirodreamsofbooty]

Killing the filibuster is, specifically, the agenda of democracy, it actually disfavors the standard holders of power (ie those who benefit from partisan consensus).

There's no sane reason that a President elected by the will of the people (as, generally speaking, the President receives the most popular votes and EC votes) shouldn't be able to nominate people to the Cabinet and judgeships that represent his vision. The filibuster was weakened specifically because Republicans refused to even consider a number of Obama appointments, despite two clear mandates from the electorate.

The problem here in terms of cannabis isn't the (lack of) filibuster, it's the ideology of the person in the White House and those he surrounds himself.

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

(as, generally speaking, the President receives the most popular votes and EC votes)

Was a clause restoring the filibuster in such a case considered? The stronger filibuster could be a check - preventing a tyrant from corrupting the government with his appointees, limiting the power he could assemble before the next election.

Looked up some electors - mainly party big wigs selected from among themselves prior to the election. Process varies by state. Many had supported other candidates in the primaries, but almost all had lined up behind the nominee. For the most part, these are the last people you'd expect to vote independently.

 

[jirodreamsofbooty]

The filibuster and cloture rules can be reinstated or strengthened at any time, the Senate makes its own procedural rules. The filibuster is tradition rather than 'law' for the most part.

That's one reason Reid didn't go full nuclear and why McConnell is unlikely to do so - the parties recognize that control is never eternal and anything you do now will eventually be done unto you.

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

I think our politics ebb and flow the same way that equilibrium in nature often follows a sine wave rather than a straight line.

We were tired of the republican methods after years of the Bush administration. We wanted a more liberal viewpoint in the federal government, enter Obama. Now after 8 years of democrat rule, we have grown weary of the liberal viewpoint and want some conservative leadership saying no to everything liberal. So we vote in the republican viewpoint again. This will go until we get tired of being lead by our conservative grandparents and want to go back to the hipster liberal days...and so on. The only thing is we have to take the good and bad with each administration. Sessions is definitely bad in my eyes. So we must endure until the tide turns again.

If only everyone in the country had to try weed just once, just to try it and get some perspective. We would have a lot more fuckin' people on our side.

 

[CarolKing]

Trump said he was draining the swamp. He's putting in all these hard ass politicians from yesterday except for maybe a few.

I'm freaking out about who he is putting in for Dept of Education. This person Betsy DeVos she will dismantle our education systems. Our schools are working out beautifully in the area where I live. Communities need to be making the decisions. Not mandates from the federal government, only in cases if a school are failing.

He hasn't taken any security briefing lately, Mike Pence is taking care of that - just unbelievable.

Trump has decided to just grab people to hurry up and fill the positions. Like whoever he owes favors to. Not finding the best person for the job. This is a disaster that has been created by people that have lost faith in our system and decided not to vote. Remember Hillary is winning the popular vote by almost 2 million.

If she would have been voted in at least we would have known what to expect regarding our fav flower.

Edit
@thisperson you are right. Hillary needed all these stars plus Barack Obama and Michelle and that still wasn't enough. They went all out in the end and nothing worked. Bernie was our guy and the DNC made sure that didn't happen. I'm real let down with the democrats. Still feeling down about the election.

I only had to deal with 2 republicans at Thanksgiving dinner. We weren't at my husband's families
festivities today. I would have been surrounded by republicans. I don't know if I could have contained myself. I might have asked them all if they are fucking satisfied now that we have a lunatic as a president?

I need to remind myself to remember I have a lot to be thankful for regardless of the election.

 

[thisperson]

Don't be a Hillary apologist Carol. "She stopped a game winning dunk to try and make the basket herself." -Immortal Technique and the election via instagram.

She only has herself to blame. If the people weren't feeling her it lies solely at her feet.

 

[jirodreamsofbooty]

Wider narratives abound but it was truly a failure of a campaign - she completely ignored GOTV/field-work in the Rust Belt states she lost, counting on people to be turned off by Trump and for moderate Republicans to switch.

In Michigan they've actually come out and said they knew they were weak but didn't want to pour in resources because that would let the Republicans know they were weak. That's just stupid on so many levels.

 

[Stu]

This thread is about our new AG and his stance on cannabis. This is not the place to rehash the election, so please keep this thread on topic.

Thank you.

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

Ok, I'm getting sick and tired of reading articles talking about what could happen with Jeff Sessions. I want to know where this whole damn thing stands with Trump and this guy.

Does anyone know the timeline of when the congressional hearings on his appointment will begin?

I want to start getting some answers from the horse's (or goat's) mouth.

 

[CarolKing]

WHEN DO HEARINGS START?
Hearings can and will likely start pretty soon after the 115th Congress is sworn in Jan. 3, 2017. The hearing and legislative schedule has not been set yet.

A nominee cannot be confirmed, however, until after the president-elect is sworn in on Jan. 20.

We should find out after Jan 20th. Will he be a friend or an enemy to the cannabis community.

Edit
46% of America didn't vote. @grokit did you see where I added that the DNC made sure Bernie didn't get the nomination. There's more than one reason that Trump won. Bernie would have been a better opponent.

 

[grokit]

This will end up being a contest between state's rights, and jeff session's ideology. If I had a lot of $ riding on legal cannabis, I'd be more than concerned at this point. There's a lot of $ riding on this already.

This is a disaster that has been created by people that have lost faith in our system and decided not to vote.

This is a disaster created by a system that never gave the people anybody to vote for, just against. Bernie and donald had people at their rallies, all hillary had was corporate donors. The democrat leadership prefers trump to bernie, because trump gives them something to run against. They'll be well-paid for years now.

Cannabis won't be legal at the federal level now until there's a racket to capitalize on it at the federal level, think monsanto. And our new potus is already buddying up to those pricks. Trump not only holds stock in monsanto, but he picked U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo to be CIA director, a "designated hitter for Monsanto and the other Big Ag chemical and seed players." In addition, Sessions himself is widely seen as offering a highly-favorable environment for M&A, so monsanto and bayer can complete their much-criticized merger. Indeed, Donald Trump's election win and his pick for attorney general could be a big boost to Bayer AG's $66 billion purchase of Monsanto Co. that is currently undergoing state and federal antitrust investigations.

 

[TeeJay1952]

I don't think Sen Session will change much. Look what is going on today. Still Schedule 1 and street legal in few states including our biggest (California) and many states have medical programs. No Banks are playing yet. No credit cards and yet growing, thriving and more pervasive in pop culture and general life than ever. All that and still Schedule 1.
Trump is very sensitive to public voice. Don't want to wake the sheeple and give a reason to rally.
Swamp won't be drained but it will be a bit greener.

 

[yogoshio]

Remember folks, government is a lagging indicator, not a projection snapshot.