Against Jeff Sessions for Attorney General
We need your help to save marijuana legalization, sentencing reform, police reform, everything.
Donald Trump's pick for Attorney General, Sen. Jeff Sessions, is one of the worst drug warriors in Congress. He almost single-handedly blocked mild sentencing reform bills that members of Congress from both parties supported. He opposes marijuana legalization and has even claimed that "good people don't use marijuana."
Please take one minute to write your US Senators in opposition to the Sessions nomination.
Sen. Sessions was rejected for a judgeship by a Republican-controlled Senate because of racism and false prosecutions he brought against civil rights activists. He is not a likely leader for continuing the much-needed work that has begun on police reform; in fact he's more likely to worsen the divisions in our country, not improve them.
Please help us stop the Sessions nomination now! Use the form below to write to your US Senators who are staying in office next year, or click here if that doesn't work. Scroll down for links to statements by some of our allies and media articles. Thank you for taking a stand.
Here are some links to statements our allies have issued on the Sessions nomination, and mainstream media articles as well as one of our own:
Done.
Thank you for making the process easy.
My Senators Michael Bennett (D) and Cory Gardner (R) have been advised. I encourage others reading this to do the same for their Senators. Don't go down without a peep! Tell your Senators to stop this insanity, please. It's your right to speak up in defense of yourself and other citizens, against a lying sociopathic president-elect, and a KKK-loving, pot-hating Attorney General, who together are getting ready for a lynching -- and they have a long list of targets, including you!
Thanks, Mark. We all need to
Thanks, Mark. We all need to rise to this occasion. It's not certain that Sessions will take down the industry, but he might.
The D.C. Model
It's funny how in all this shouting "The End is Near!" - no one is talking about the D.C. model. -- In D.C., possession, consumption, growing and giving away small amounts are all legal. Only sales are prohibited. - A thriving 'Grow and Give' system is evolving there.
So, no, Sessions doesn't represent a total disaster. The whole country could just go on the D.C. model until we get rational leaders again. - That's tough for the industry, but consumers should be fine.
Maybe if the "industry" had not fought against legalization for so long and so hard, we would have ended prohibition by now and this wouldn't be an issue. - They have only themselves to blame.
I admit to expecting the worst case scenario...
I admit to expecting the worst case scenario... but I acknowledge that nothing is certain. I don't think I'm being hysterical, however, even if I am assuming the worst. Because what I "see" coming (that is, what I think is most likely to happen) is that the prohibitionists are ramping up for an epic battle -- their last stand, so to speak. With all the legalization going on this election cycle, they must know the end is near. At the same time, with Trump and Sessions in charge nationally, I think they will interpret that as their cue to attack. And for them, it's "do or die." Trump and Sessions will provide the weaponry.
I could be wrong. I acknowledge that, too. Anything is possible -- Trump could de-schedule cannabis, and prove me wrong. I think it's delusional to expect that, however. So, if that ever happened, I wouldn't know whether to scratch my watch or wind my ass!
But I guess I could live with that!
I consider the DC model a good example of harm reduction. It's a gigantic improvement. But there's also no good reason dispensaries should be illegal; only the prohibitionists want that. However, DC went from full prohibition to the DC model. That was a step forward. What we might be looking at here is, states like Colorado going from full legalization to the DC model, a step backwards. Furthermore, this will be done violently, with automatic weaponry and assault rifles and S.W.A.T. teams. That ain't cool.
Prohibition
It fails me to understand how our nations politicians see Alcohol as acceptable but not Marijuana. Alcohol is very toxic to the body with very little benefits to humans but there are many reports concerning Marijuana that show the plant is not toxic to humans and has many healing benefits. I used to think all politicians were un-trust worthy but over the past few years, I have started paying closer attention to politics and I am seeing where the majority of Republicans simply do not care what the citizens in their own states cares about.
Republicans leaders are starting to look more like Dictators rather than representation of their people's will in their state. If the majority of a state votes in favor of medical/recreational Marijuana then the Republicans of the state should honor the vote and people of their state. Instead, it seems Republicans are still trying to force their old ideology onto the citizens of their state instead of honoring the citizens wishes. What happened to Democracy?
Money.
It's money. Unfortunately, people just can't seem to say "no" to it, no matter what moral or ethical principles that may violate.
You can think of politicians as living TV advertisements, bought and paid for by their Corporate sponsors -- that's Corporate America, which, to varying degrees, stands to lose money if marijuana is legalized. Unlike alcohol and other drugs, marijuana is virtually free, readily available in nature, particularly with a bit of help and gardening. According to NORML, the price for cannabis, were it cultivated like any other organic cash crop, would be... pennies on the pound. No real profit motive there, but plenty of profit motive to oppose it: it represents COMPETITION to industries like the alcohol industry, big pharma, big oil, on and on.
Reminder: if you haven't already, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write your Senators and urge them to stop the nomination of Jeff Sessions for AG. The time to do so is at hand!
Okay...
I don't argue with any of that. - Of course there's no good reason dispensaries should be illegal.
I'm just saying the "industry" does not equal the cannabis culture, and that consumers may suffer a little inconvenience and lack of selection, but the D.C. model works fairly well for us.
Again, those wanting to make money from marijuana have been in a feeding frenzy ever since California passed Prop 215 in 1996. - They have made so much noise, many in marijuana reform have lost track of the real goal of reform - ending the insane war on consumers.
I have been a marijuana reform activist for 20 years. For the last several years, most of my fight has been against greedy sellers against legalization (GSAL). - If it had not been for their resistance, California would probably have passed Prop 19 six years ago! Legalization would have been so thoroughly entrenched now, nobody, not even Sessions as A.G., could do a thing about it.
I know not all sellers have been against legalization, but those who have stood up for it have been very few. Only those few can feel blameless in this. - The silent ones who let the GSAL scream and fight against legalization without saying anything bear the blame, too.
Point taken.
Yes. I also remember when Prop19 in CA failed, and I was shocked at the opposition "from within." I called them "traitors to Stoner Society." I'm no fan of Corporate America myself, and so I get what you're saying. True, I love my dispensary; I'm very loyal! I would hate to see my dispensary, or any others, forced out of business as a result of an increase in prohibitionist power. Yet I agree with you, at least to this extent: I've been saying for some time that there is an inherent conflict of interest between Capitalism (at least, Capitalism such as it is practiced in USA) and marijuana legalization, for just such reasons as you have indicated. Profit motive does not care about social justice -- they're two separate and conflicting metrics. So it seems we may be much on the same page after all!
But just a thought -- how sure are we that even DC cannabis consumers, operating as you describe, are going to be safe under Sessions? That would make me real nervous of narcs, and a whole lot of underhanded shit potentially going on under the radar... can we even count on Sessions to leave medical patients alone, growing medicine for themselves? I can't even see Sessions making this medical distinction. Just saying...
One more thing....
@ John Thomas,
One more thing I feel compelled to add... I agree that stoner culture could survive pretty well without the legal industry, so long as we weren't actually getting arrested. But the budtenders and business owners don't deserve guns at their heads, or prison time for what they're doing, I'm sure you would agree. If that happened, that would be an attack on us all. I don't want my budtender to think I don't care! I certainly do.
A Word From The Wise
Yes. Growers and sellers provide a valuable service. But when they cross the line to work against legalization and the freedom of their "precious" customers, they become no different from any other ruthless drug gang. - And yes, that includes those sellers who were silent while the GSAL were moaning and fighting against legalization because they too, were enjoying the outrageously high prices and quasi monopolies. - Some of them in California even went as far as to team up with Kevin Sabet and the police.
The main thing I like about my dispensary is they supported legalization - before the vote.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
No Such Thing as a Sure Thing
Of course, there is no guarantee that somehow, the feds under Trump won't figure out a way to defeat the legalization for consumers. - It would take an incredible political effort to reverse the legalization won by the citizens in their states, though. -- With the zero mandate Trump has, I seriously doubt he wants to spend his miniscule political capital going after marijuana consumers.
I sure hope you're right!
I would love to be as confident about that as you are! And I sincerely hope you're right.
But I don't think Trump cares about political capital anymore. He's a gangster. The "sting" is over. From now on, it will be about raw, naked violent power.
He needed the political capital in order to run his scam, but now, he has succeeded in scamming us, and the scam is over. He started breaking his "promises" immediately after the election. Notice, now he's openly mocking those who try to hold him to his promises; he says his conflicts of interest were "priced into" your vote. He says that out of contempt for the people he scammed. Now it's over, and they still don't know they've been had! He has contempt for those who he fucks, and even more contempt for those he fucks who don't even realize they've been fucked! If it were a street mugging, he'd be saying, "Look, stupid, I have your wallet right here in my goddamn hand! It's mine now, dumbass! So get the fuck out of here before I hurt you real bad!"
That's why I remain concerned.
We agree we don't know the future; we agree on opposition to the Sessions nomination. And I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of "traitor" canna-businesses. They can go right the hell out of business, as far as I care. (But just not at gunpoint!) In the end, this isn't about money. It's about justice, freedom, and a basic right to ingest medicine.
Possible Futures
I agree Trump's supporters will soon be betrayed. That means they will be looking elsewhere for representation. - What I'd like to see is a coalition people's party composed of the Libertarians, the Green's and the Progressive Democrats. It could easily include 70 percent of voters.
Right. It's not about money. It's not even about marijuana, ultimately. Professor Julian Heicklen said:
"Marijuana is the messenger, not the message. The issue is whether we will live in freedom or in tyranny!"
Agreed! One-Hundred Percent.
Right on. That's what I'm talking about -- an unstoppable coalition of citizens, uniting in self-defense for the common good! I'm with you. Let's do exactly that!
It's 4:19! here! Cheers!
Don't Split The Progressive Vote
It turns out, with the benefit of two years hindsight, that the situation is far worse than we thought. Trump is a traitor and a Putin operative, and he intends to be dictator of USA. The threat is authoritarian fascism, and the response is The Resistance.
Third party votes on the left will enable Trump and his supporters by splitting the votes of those in The Resistance. (This is how the largely reasonable people of Maine wound up with a racist lunatic like LePage, if you recall! Let us learn from history here.)
The Democratic Party is the weapon we must use to defeat Traitor Trump and ALL his lickspittle Republicans!
VOTE!!
https://www.vote.org
I'm seeing this glass as
I'm seeing this glass as half-full. The good news is that Sessions won't be in any position to block legislation.
John Mica lost in the house. Another old-school drug warrior gone.
Things started to get better when Asa Hutchinson and Porter Goss left Congress to work for the Executive Branch. Things got even better when Mark Souder resigned.
If they aren't in Congress they can't pass bad laws or block good ones. :)
Sessions will deport as many of us as he can
Let's hope the damage is minimal.
Good point above, regarding Congress. Hard for me to predict that outcome, but let's hope Congress provides some protection. (Can't say I'm feeling real safe about that, though. Sessions got an increase in power, not a decrease.)
My larger concern with Trump and marijuana policy is that, even if there is no overt crackdown on dispensaries, the Trump/Sessions crowd, with their xenophobia and obsession with deportations, will make it inevitable that Sessions will try to divide us cannabis consumers into those that "pass" and those that "don't pass."
Marijuana prohibition is the new Jim Crow Laws, that's been established. We all know about racial disparity in the War On Drug Users. I fear this racial disparity will vastly increase, even if I'm wrong about a massive crackdown on dispensaries. We are all human beings first, and entitled to our medicine -- not just those of us who survive the purge. How many good people on our side are at risk? Well, everyone who isn't a white male Baptist, right?
Pro-legalization Trump supporters say Sessions will focus on immigration, and leave "us" alone. But how many of "us" are included in this group? Many! Because we marijuana consumers exist in all walks of life, there is no group of disposable people that we can deport, and still say that "we" were unaffected by Sessions' bigotry.
There's no way for America to undergo a massive deportation effort without the marijuana movement being hurt... unless you think cannabis legalization is just for whites! And let's face it, the legalization movement, while it is open and diverse, is still very, very white. Would "we" even notice the citizens disappearing from our rooms? We smoked together, fought for legalization together. Now do we "whites" just say, "Not our problem, thanks for your donation?"
I hope not. Xenophobic deportations are not okay for the legalization movement.
deportation
If you are an illegal immigrant with no proof of trying to obtain citizenship then you should be deported. If you truly want the advantages of living in the USA then you would willingly sign up for citizenship. By remaining under the radar there is no good reason for you to be here except to conduct illegal activities. I do not support illegal immigrants. I do support persons of good standing that want to create a better life for themselves and their offspring, that's what the USA is all about. I also support the legalization of marijuana. Neither party can accurately represent my point of view, thus to blame Dem. or Rep. would be futile. I also respect life, thus I am pro-life and anti-death penalty. It may take a minute for some of you to wrap your head around that, but think hard and long enough..... it will all make sense. We are surrounded by double-think policies and taking sides on the left or the right only perpetuates the existence of an Orwellian society. Start thinking for yourselves and don't let anyone think they can control your mind.
Certainly your logic makes
Certainly your logic makes sense from governmental point of view. But does it make sense from a humanitarian point of view? Here is another way of looking at it: "if you are using marijuana illegally, no matter how much you might benefit, you should be thrown in jail. If folks want to truly take advantage of accepted medical care then a person would willingly take pharmaceuticals, instead of illegal drugs. By going under the radar to treat an illness with a safer and more effective drug, there is no good reason accept that you are doing something illegal. And society does not support committing illegal activities."
So with that type of logic, "how do you support persons of good standing that want a better life for themselves and their offspring, when clearly breaking the law to use marijuana is the better life/health choice?
The reason the USA has an illegal immigration problem is because folks are escaping poverty, horrible economies and oppressive governments and seeking a better life for themselves and their offspring.
The general differences between a Democratic view and a Republican view, is that the Democrats have been promoting diversity, differences and acceptance; whereas the Republicans want to build walls, fix their own houses at the expense of their neighbors, and demonize all those without a conservative religious outlook.
Although the right and the left have their inadequacies, and both are not perfect and both have good as well as bad, the group with the most tolerance, as well as humanity is without a doubt the modern Democrats.
I certainly agree with you
I certainly agree with you that CAPITAL PUNISHMENT (death penalty) is not only barbaric but completely illogical. It goes without saying that two wrongs don't make a right. Capital punishment needs to END. Tit for tat is continues the cycle instead of ending it.
Also I am pro-life to a point. The greatest challenge facing humanity is human overpopulation. This is the root of climate change, pollution, animal and habitat extinction, illegal immigration, economic problems, wars, famine, etc. This may not seem apparent at first, but with honest thinking it becomes clear that humans have a responsibility to live in balance just like mother nature. Obviously, there are many, many babies born to irresponsible parents, into irresponsible circumstances, who receive a troubling upbringing. What is worse, aborting an unwanted or sick child or one conceived by rape or forcing that child to born into disaster? This is a VERY difficult question to answer. But making abortions illegal would not solve anything, but add to the problem by criminalizing those who have to make that HARD choice.
I'm with you
I agree with you, Anon.
I've got no problem with anyone who comes to America for the purposes of bettering themselves. Marijuana has taught me that The Law in USA is corrupt, serving the rich and powerful, at this at the expense of the rest of us. Further, I believe Human Rights take precedence over USA Law.
Each state against Trump's Regime should cut funding
I just want to say that if each state opposing Trump's oppression would all figure out ways to cut federal funding, it could in theory lessen the amount of funding Trump has at his disposal and it also shows the Federal Government that state funding id a HUGE part of the reason they even exist in the first place. Without unity and federal compliance it will show the fed, "hey look, we collectively are stronger than you" in a sense and hopefully some of the top senators and lawmakers will open their eyes as to the division being created in a once unified (for the most part) country and how not only will it affect marijuana users on a medical and recreational level, but anyone they see fit to just de-fund and reverse laws already in place due to democracy, the very reason they are even in office to begin with.....
Sessions is out (for now)
He's resigned. Good. He represented more noise than effect over the last 2 years. I'm not celebrating his political demise just yet. I fear he'll run for Senator from Alabama again and we'll have to fight his reactionary views from 2020-2026.
Not resigned. Fired.
Fired by Traitor Trump. To protect his own corrupt ass from the Mueller investigation.
OKBet
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Stay informed about the dynamic Vancouver real estate market. From modern condos in the heart of downtown to family-friendly homes in the suburbs, explore the latest trends, listings, and investment opportunities in this vibrant coastal city.From trendy downtown condos to charming suburban homes, our listings showcase the diversity of Vancouver's housing opportunities.
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