Sigh…it’s pretty sad when we live in an era where the very mention of the United States Atty. General is enough to send a collective cold shiver down the spines of every cannabis campaigner and industry player in the country. It all comes down to simple democracy. Or in the current instance, a distinct lack thereof. All across the country, voters given the right to determine the future of cannabis policy are doing exactly that. It’s becoming more and more apparent that the legalization of recreational and medical cannabis is something that people want.
Nevertheless, people like Jeff Sessions continue to spout pointless propaganda and the kinds of direct threats that are uttered for no other reason than to keep the industry on high alert. But what’s even worse is the way in which Sessions seems to have no shame going on-record in the most public of manners with his completely and utterly BS views on cannabis and its effects. There are really no two ways about it – the crap coming out of his mouth at the moment is both hilarious and tragic in equal measures.
In an interview last week, he once again suggested that Federal law could well be enforced to prosecute those who are participating in the legal cannabis industry nationwide. Prior to this, he directly suggested that cannabis has a direct and negative impact on the prevalence of violent crime in the United States. This, despite the fact that any number of studies have shown that there is absolutely no link between cannabis and violence whatsoever. If anything, it’s actually the exact opposite.
Jeff Sessions Spouts More Nonsense
Nevertheless, he once again decided to embrace the opportunity to embarrass himself and mislead a nation yesterday in yet another interview. Speaking to law enforcement in Richmond on Wednesday, he further emphasized his stance with regard to cannabis use – not that it was ever unclear – and stated that in his personal opinion, cannabis can be almost as life-destroying as heroin.
“I realize this may be an unfashionable belief in a time of growing tolerance of drug use. But too many lives are at stake to worry about being fashionable. I reject the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in every corner store. And I am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing marijuana – so people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another that’s only slightly less awful. Our nation needs to say clearly once again that using drugs will destroy your life.”
If you’ve bothered to read even a single published study into the truth regarding cannabis over recent years, chances are this one paragraph will have filled you with a sense of anger and perhaps a little nausea. As such, you’d have probably assumed that things really couldn’t get any worse as far as this particular interview goes at least.
Ignoring Medical Research
Instead, he decided to go against the recommendations and expert advice of leading medical professionals, politicians and lawmakers across the United States, who insist that the war on drugs that was waged over recent decades has been a failure. In fact, it has been completely counterproductive. They argue that the only way forward for cannabis and drug policy in general in the United States is with common sense, proactivity and acknowledgement of exactly what the people want.
Nevertheless, Sessions stated outright that as far as he’s concerned, the archaic, pointless and wholly harmful war on drugs of decades gone by is exactly what he wants to once again roll out.
“In the ’80s and ’90s, we saw how campaigns stressing prevention brought down drug use and addiction. We can do this again. Educating people and telling them the terrible truth about drugs and addiction will result in better choices. We can reduce the use of drugs, save lives and turn back the surge in crime that inevitably follows in the wake of increased drug abuse.”
It makes for a pretty painful reading, doesn’t it?
Out of Touch With Current Social Ideas
The thing is though, the speech as a whole centred on a theme of reducing and preventing further increases in violent crime rates across the United States. He spoke of personally being of the kind of age that has given him the privilege to live through a variety of social changes and shifts in the United States, underpinning the way in which it is important that the country isn’t allowed to fall back into bad habits. The only problem being that he is also of the kind of age where he is inevitably out of touch with the attitudes, opinions and general approach to life of the new generation.
He talks about violent crime, opioid addiction and importance of using prosecution, treatment and education to prevent dangerous and deadly drug use. Every year, tens of thousands of people across the United States lose their lives as a direct result of opioid abuse and related overdoses. This has apparently become a primary focal point for the US government, which for the time being at least seems to be overlooking the fact that opioid use and abuse rates have fallen considerably in states that have legalized cannabis.
What’s more, the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of those battling the side effects associated with coming off opioids like heroin has proved to be remarkably effective. You would think this represented the kind of positive evidence even Sessions himself couldn’t argue with, but no.
Instead, he took the opportunity slightly earlier in the week to tell reporters that he doesn’t even believe medical cannabis is as useful or effective as leading experts and researchers all over the world say it is.
“I think medical marijuana has been hyped, maybe too much.” – His exact words, clearly illustrating the fact that the man does not have a damn clue what he is talking about.
Seriously – what right do people like Jeff Sessions have to tell millions of medical cannabis users all over the world that they are both mistaken about the properties of medical cannabis and lying to themselves about its effects? Those who rely on medical cannabis to lead any kind of normal life or have effectively found their own children’s lives to be saved by medical cannabis products – does this really constitute ‘hype’ that isn’t justified?
Once again, comments that transcend the barrier between uneducated ramblings and hideously offensive rhetoric.
