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By Dennis Romero
Marijuana fans celebrated Wednesday the dismissal of US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whose mandate as chief law enforcement official in Canada included tough anti-drug and sentencing policies. .
"It has been an absolute shame for drug policy," said Michael Collins, acting director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance.
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Matthew Whitaker, Sessions chief of staff, would act as acting Attorney General. Whitaker is not well known to the drug reform movement.
"We would be happy to welcome any Attorney General whose political ideas would go beyond the 1980s," Collins said.
Sessions were hailed by the marijuana industry and drug reform movements for its decision made last January to cancel an Obama era policy demanding an essentially passive stance for federal enforcement of US law cannabis in states that have legalized the drug.
The former senator also put a brake on sentencing reform policy. The sessions urged federal prosecutors to seek maximum sentences, even for low-intensity drug offenses.
The lawyer's policy came at a time when drug reform groups were gaining momentum: some states legalized marijuana, others recognized the use of drugs, and further reduced the penalties for related crimes. to drugs.
On Tuesday, Michigan became the tenth state to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes. 32 others approved medical marijuana.
The pro-cannabis community has never had great hope for Sessions, which has already stated that "the right people do not smoke marijuana," but its policy quickly made it the biggest brake of the movement. legalization.
"He certainly made negative comments" about pot, said Mason Tvert, spokesperson for the project on marijuana policy.
According to Tvert, the reversal of Obama's policy on cannabis has resulted in an outflow of marijuana investment at a time when legalization by the state is attracting money to the sector.
"This has certainly had an impact on the market and investments – and has resulted in the failure of transactions and the withdrawal of corporate money," he said.
But the reality in the street was that Sessions had barked but did not match his bite. For example, its Cannabis Enforcement Decree – the Drug Enforcement Agency lists Schedule 1 drug marijuana alongside heroin and LSD – did not prompt its troops to act.
After Sessons' January 4 directive, US Attorney Annette L. Hayes in Seattle said in a statement that her attorneys would continue to "focus on those who pose the greatest risk to the security of the people and communities we serve. serve. "
"In practice, the Department of Justice's marijuana policy has not been as different from that of the previous administration," said Tvert.
Kevin A. Sabet, president of the anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, agreed that there was a certain continuum. He said that a change of staff should not affect the law. "It does not change anything," he said by e-mail.
"Marijuana was against federal law before, during, and now after," said Sabet.
Nevertheless, proponents of drug policy reform would like to see an Attorney General who would overthrow the Sessions mandate on the law of jars and who, like Trump, believes that the legalization of cannabis is a question of State rights.
"Our hope is that the next attorney general will recognize that it is not politically popular to intensify the war on drugs," said Collins of the Drug Policy Alliance.
The release of the sessions has already boosted stocks and investments in marijuana.
Micah Tapman, managing director of CanopyVentures, a CanopyVentures venture capital firm, said the victories of the medical and recreational campaign in Michigan and the resignation of Sessions on Wednesday had been summoned by investors.
"We survived the sessions," he said, "and I think the future is bright."
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