Threatening to enforce federal drug laws that classify marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic last year, 71-year-old Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions told the Federalist Society today that the Department of Justice does not have the resources to enforce federal law. While saying he would not change the Drug Enforcement Agency [DEA] classification of marijuana, he also admitted he would not prosecute State run medical or recreational marijuana laws. For all intents and purposes, Sessions continues former President Barack Obama’s drug policy of not prosecuting violations of federal drug laws by states passing medical and recreational use laws. Sessions said the DOJ will not prosecute “routine cases,” meaning state or individual marijuana cases. Sessions’ walked back last year’s promise to enforce federal drug laws, including prosecuting state cannabis laws.
Sessions finds himself in the center of storm related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian investigation into meddling in the 2016 election and alleged Trump collusion. Prosecuting states’ marijuana laws were not in the cards for Sessions, where states have found medical and recreational pot laws have generated millions in tax dollars. “I am not going to tell Colorado or California or someone else that possessing of marijuana is legal under United States law,” said Sessions, that he won’t change existing federal drug laws making marijuana legal. On the other hand, Sessions said he doesn’t have the federal prosecutors to prosecute federal violations of federal marijuana laws. Federal authorities “haven’t been working small marijuana cases before and they’re not going to be working on them now,” giving states with medical and recreational marijuana laws relief.
State medical and recreational marijuana laws want the federal government to change the DEA’s current classification of weed to allow medical and recreational companies to use the federal banking system. Marijuana businesses are cash-and-carry businesses because they run afoul with current federal banking laws. “Those are the kinds of things each one of those U.S. attorneys will decide how to handle,” said Sessions, signaling he’s no longer focused on enforcing the letter of federal drug laws. Asked more questions about his March 2, 2017 recusal in the Russian meddling probe, Sessions defended his decision, saying he followed the advice of senior Justice Department officials. Trump wasn’t happy with Sessions when Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller May 17, 2017 to investigate President Donald Trump.
Sessions faces pressure from GOP members of Congress to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate the Obama administration’s abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act [FISA] to wiretap Trump campaign officials, including Sessions. Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice admitted Sept. 11, 2017 to the House Intelligence Committee that she “unmasked” Trump officials while collecting “incidental” data collection on former Russian Amb. Sergey Kislyak. While not naming names, Rice unmasked Sessions talking to Kislyak on at least three occasions during the campaign and the transition period. When Sessions failed to disclose his contact with Kislyak, no matter how inconsequential, to the Senate Judiciary Committee during his 2017 confirmation hearings, it nearly cost him his job as attorney general—forcing him to recuse himself.
Giving up on enforcing federal drug laws, Sessions has partially redeemed himself for recusing himself in the Russian probe March 2, 2017. If he appoints a Special Counsel to probe former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s influence on Justice Department, FBI and National Security Agency to wiretap Trump’s campaign, Sessions will silence his critics. Sessions walks a fine line keeping out of the Russian probe while knowing he was one of the Trump campaign officials under FBI investigation. Leading the charge in the House, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) wants Sessions to appoint an Special Counsel to investigate Obama administrations abuses of the FISA Court but, more importantly, Hillary’s role in giving the FBI, Justice Department and National Security Agency her paid opposition research on Trump, AKA “the dossier,” to justify wiretaps.
Sessions looks to redeem himself after recusing himself in the Russian probe. Backing off on his promise to enforce federal marijuana laws puts his priorities back where they belong: Looking into the Justice Department, FBI and National Security abuses of the FISA Court wiretapping Trump’s campaign. No one in the mainstream press wants to take on this issue, believing House Intelligence Committee Co-Chairman Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) conclusion that nothing inappropriate went on. Schiff’s been leading the charge to discredit Trump to give Democrats the best shot of winning the Midterm elections, handing Congress back to Democrats. Letting states managing their own medical and recreational use laws gives Sessions the best opportunity to focus on what’s really important: Investigating the most egregious abuse of the country’s national security apparatus in U.S. history.
