NEWS
U.S. Attorney General Nominee Jeff Sessions Likely Changing Federal Cannabis Policy
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Trump’s transition team may already be discussing “new path” for legal weed.
Published on December 12, 2016

It appears President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for Attorney General of the United States -- Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions -- could indeed have some kind of evil plan in store to modify the way the federal government approaches those states that have legalized marijuana.

Pete O’Neil, CEO of Empire Cannabis Brands and Co-Chair Cannabis & Hemp Industry Task Force, recently shared an email with MERRY JANE suggesting that Trump’s transition team was in San Francisco over the weekend to discuss with government officials the “new path” a Sessions controlled Justice Department would take with respect to legal marijuana.

Although the details surrounding the alleged meeting are in no way clear, at least not at this point, industry experts do seem to think it is possible that the new U.S. Attorney General could be planning to void the Cole Memorandum – a set of guidelines used by the Obama Administration to explain its “hands off” approach to the legal cannabis trade.

“It looks like the Trump administration is going to move forward with their new plan with out any public input or overview,” O’Neil said in an email.

Some of the latest speculation surrounding the Trump Administration’s possible newfound approach to the legal cannabis industry is that it will have the biggest impact on the recreational sector. While still only rumors, there are some who believe that the entire scope of the recreational pot market, which allows adults 21 and over to purchase weed regardless of medical necessity, will be forced to shutdown once Trump take over the White House – eliminating the cultivation and sales of the cannabis plant in the eight states that have brought an end to prohibition.

Some are even worried that while the medical marijuana sector will likely be permitted to continue operating in the 28 states that have made it legal, the industry could be at risk of being held to tighter restrictions when it comes to how it does business.

So far, Trump’s transition team has yet to respond to MERRY JANE’s request for comment.

It was announced last month that Trump had selected Senator Sessions, a fierce opponent to the concept of legal marijuana, to be his leading law enforcement hammer over at the U.S. Department of Justice. The news of this development created a state panic throughout the entire scope of the legal cannabis trade since Sessions, a man who once said, “Good people do not smoke marijuana,” would have the power to deploy the troops over at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and declare war on marijuana, once again, all across the United States.

In fact, none of the appointees slated to become a part of Trump’s cabinet, at this juncture, are in favor of marijuana legalization, especially with consideration to recreational use.

But yet, no official statement has been issued regarding the Trump administration’s overall position on this matter.

The Cannabis & Hemp Industry Task Force sent a letter to President-elect Trump last week, urging him to honor the Cole Memo.

“Let’s get rid of fake Washington insider “drug war” solutions that have failed and show what outsider thinking can accomplish,” the letter reads.

The group is hoping to meet with at least one member of Trump’s transition team before the end of the year.

It was revealed on Friday that Senator Sessions is set go before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the first part of January for his confirmation hearings. Chairman Chuck Grassley called Sessions “an honorable man” and said he looks “forward to hearing from him next month” – giving no indication that Sessions as the next AG would be met with much opposition.

This is a developing story. We will keep you updated, as new information is made available.

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Mike Adams
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Mike Adams is a contributing writer for MERRY JANE. He also writes for High Times Magazine and Cannabis Now. You can follow him on Twitter @adamssoup and on Facebook.com/mikeadams73
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