{"id":2366,"date":"2018-01-04T13:35:10","date_gmt":"2018-01-04T18:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musingsbymichael.com\/blog\/?p=2366"},"modified":"2018-01-04T13:35:10","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T18:35:10","slug":"nj-making-marijuana-legal-is-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.musingsbymichael.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/04\/nj-making-marijuana-legal-is-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"NJ making marijuana legal is dead?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Marijuana\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Is Phil Murphy’s idea of making marijuana legal dead?<\/span><\/p>\n

The US Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, in a dramatic reversal of an Obama era policy on marijuana has stated the following in a memo<\/a>, \u201c”In deciding which marijuana activities to prosecute under these laws with the Department’s finite resources, prosecutors should follow the well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutions,” by considering the seriousness of the crime and its impact on the community, Sessions wrote in a one-page memo to the nation’s federal prosecutors<\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So now we will have to wait and see what really will happen, will President Trump override Sessions or will Congress move to block his move? There is something he has to abide by, \u201cA congressional amendment blocks the Justice Department from interfering with medical marijuana programs in states where it is allowed. Justice officials said they would follow the law, but would not preclude the possibility of medical-marijuana related prosecutions.<\/i>\u201d So it will be up to each federal prosecutor to decide if they are going to prosecute those who are violating federal laws against the growing, distribution, selling and the using of marijuana.<\/span><\/p>\n

I do not see any way that Congress should not enact a law or force Sessions to make marijuana legal. This situation is just crazy and this is something Sessions promised not to do when he was being confirmed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c”There is no more safe haven with regard to the federal government and marijuana, but it’s also the beginning of the story and not the end,” said Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, who was among several anti-marijuana advocates who met with Sessions last month. “This is a victory. It’s going to dry up a lot of the institutional investment that has gone toward marijuana in the last five years.”<\/i>\u201d With all the economic benefits to the states that allow the public to have marijuana I have to agree that Sessions has started a war that in the end he most likely will lose. But that is in the long term and in the short term this reversal of policy could do more harm to the US economy than anyone realizes. With all the major investing in the growing and selling of marijuana many in the business world have much to lose and will fight back. President Trump is probably already getting an earful of complaints from his supporters. And I bet that the President will call Sessions on the proverbial carpet and chew him out.<\/span><\/p>\n

So lookout Phil, you might be promoting a dead issue!<\/span><\/p>\n

That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike<\/span><\/p>\n