Another whirlwind week for weedâjust as the industry recovers from the stock hit they took after Sean Spicerâs enforcement announcement, here comes Attorney General Jeff Sessions with some âfightinâ words,â hinting, again, at a possible federal attack on legalized weed. Well, the states with recreational marijuana are readyâlawyering up for four long years of possible raids and litigation. Read on.
Sessions Warns America About Weed Being Sold in Grocery Stores
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who by now, must have far more pressing matters on his mind, had some choice words for marijuana earlier this week. First, at a meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General on Tuesday, Sessions said he was âdubiousâ about marijuana legalization, adding:
âIâm not sure weâre going to be a better, healthier nation if we have marijuana being sold at every corner grocery store.â (But will there be room if thereâs already a taco truck though?)
Fact check: possibly true, if people also buy Cheetos, chips, and other snacks in anticipation of their munchie needs. But, good for the economy, right? Itâs funny though, how suddenly concerned Sessions is about the nationâs health after all the money heâs gotten from Big Tobacco over the years.
On Monday, Sessions told reporters that âExperts are telling me thereâs more violence around marijuana than one would think, and thereâs big money involved.â Who are these experts? Are they Russian? Do tell.
Sessions was vague about the âhows,â but promised a "significant shift in the priority given to prosecuting...drug offenders at the federal level," saying that under his "leadership at the Department of Justice, this trend will end."
Yeah, but how long will that last?
Legalized States Are Already Fighting Back
Before the supposed federal crackdown on weed even happens (and hereâs a few ways that might go down), states like Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, and Alaska are already doubling down on their efforts to shield their stash.
In a letter to Sessions, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson vowed that this office will âuse every tool at our disposal to ensure that the federal government does not undermine Washingtonâs successful, unified system for recreational and medical marijuana.â
And Governor Inslee, who is looking into âlitigation optionsâ to protect Washingtonâs legal and medical marijuana industry, was all eye rolls: âOf all the chaotic fights that the administration is having, this is not one that they need right now,â he said.
Comedian Nick Offerman put it another way:
Hey guys we smoke weed in every state of the union and that's part of why we're more chill than you cheez dick chickenshits
Bring it on https://t.co/LdFm1sE5am
â Nick Offerman (@Nick_Offerman) February 24, 2017
Federal Legislation to Legalize Cannabis Introduced in Congress
The bipartisan âEnding Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017â bill aims to do just what its title saysâby removing marijuana from the list of the federally controlled substances all together. The bill was originally introduced by Bernie Sanders in 2015 but has been picked up again in part by (gasp!) a Republican from Virginia, Tom Garrett, who indicated that narcotics crimes disproportionally affect areas of lower socio-economic status. âI have long believed justice that isnât blind, isn't justice,â he said of the bill.
No Cannabis at Cannabis Cup?
Say what? The Moapa Paiute Tribe in Nevada, whose reservation is hosting the 2017 High Times Cannabis Cup received a letter from their district's U.S. Attorney, Daniel Bogden, who told them that they may have misunderstood the Department of Justiceâs previous messages (in the form of the Cole Memorandum and Wilkinson memo) regarding the right of Native Americans to grow and sell cannabis on tribal lands, clarifying that marijuana is still illegal under federal law. Itâs not the first time that confusion around these mixed messages have caused tribal and federal disputes.
Marijuana Researchers Face Many Obstacles
Including bureaucratic federal regulations, poor quality product, and a lack of funding, according to this article.
Horror Movie-Themed Cannabis Brand Launched in Washington State
New product alert: âStar Leafâ is a brand of flower strains named after the 2015 sci-fi/horror film about hikers who find a secret alien marijuana plant in the woods of the Olympic Peninsula. Consume while camping at your own risk!
Ham Radio Operators Are Pissed
Because cannabis grow lights, which can produce as much interference as a 1,000-watt AM radio station, are messing with their signals. The American Radio Relay League filed four complaints with the FCC, but says they havenât heard back yet. After noticing static, one of the hobbyists drove around side streets for hours to try and trace the source with a spectrum analyzer. I want this kind of time.