Jeff Sessions goes in a wrong direction on marijuana

The move from Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end an Obama administration policy that allowed states, within limits, to legalize marijuana – as long as they prohibited minors from obtaining it and didn’t allow transport to states where it wasn’t legal – is ludicrous.

There’s been no hue and cry about legalization, which isn’t surprising since polls show that two-thirds of Americans favor it. And medical marijuana has been recognized as helpful in treating the effects of chemotherapy and easing the eye pressure associated with glaucoma. No, it’s not a wonder drug, and yes, there need to be limits on its use.

But if there are responsible, legal restrictions, the arguments of advocates of legalization that recreational use of marijuana is no more harmful than the consumption of alcohol – and that was before “craft” beers with high alcohol content were developed – gains credibility.

Sessions’ action isn’t the result of careful study, of course. It’s taking away the rights of states to have a say in regulation, which apparently has angered conservatives and liberals. And it’s just one more item on the Trump administration’s list of “Obama actions” that a president obsessed with the record of his predecessor wants to undo.

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Jeff Sessions goes in a wrong direction on marijuana."