Sessions terminates US policy that let legal pot flourish

The Trump administration threw the burgeoning movement to legalize marijuana into uncertainty Thursday as it lifted an Obama-era leniency policy that kept federal authorities from cracking down on the pot trade in states where the drug is legal. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will now leave it up to federal prosecutors to decide what to do when state rules collide with federal drug law.

Massachusetts officials critical of shift in federal pot policy

Regulators pledged on Thursday they would push ahead with implementation of the state's voter-approved recreational marijuana law despite potential confusion stemming from a shift in official U.S. policy on enforcement of federal laws against pot. State officials, including Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, criticized the announcement from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he was rescinding a policy from the previous administration that allowed legal marijuana to flourish, without interference from federal prosecutors, in Massachusetts and seven other states where adult use is permitted.

Sessions ending federal policy that let legal pot flourish

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama-era policy that paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, creating new confusion about enforcement and use just three days after a new legalization law went into effect in California. President Donald Trump's top law enforcement official announced the change Thursday.

As Jeff Sessions Imposes Crackdown on Marijuana Laws, Lawmakers Threaten Obstruction

As marijuana grows into a multimillion dollar industry, Attorney General Jeff Sessions aims to impose harsher federal regulations. AP News reports that Sessions plans to rescind an Obama-era policy that allows states to gradually legalize marijuana for recreational use, giving federal prosecutors free reign in targeting buyers and sellers.

Roberts promises review of judiciary’s misconduct policies

24, 2016, file photo, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks in Washington. Roberts used his annual report on the federal judiciary Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, to promise a carefu... Bone-chilling cold gripped the middle of the U.S. as 2018 began, breaking low temperature records, icing some New Year's celebrations and leading to at least two deaths attributed to exposure to the elements.

ND to track medical pot from ‘seed to sale’ to keep drugs out of wrong hands

North Dakota's entry into medical marijuana will require establishing a monitoring system that will enable officials to track the product from seed to final sale. It will have to account for medical marijuana that initially will be grown at up to two operations and distributed through up to eight dispensaries around the state to an estimated 1,900 patients, which expected to double to about 3,800 for the 2019-21 biennium.

Is criminal justice reform really “poised to take off in 2018”?

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this lengthy Washington Examiner article headlined "Criminal justice reform poised to take off in 2018." Here are excerpts: Criminal justice reform came back with such renewed energy this year after sputtering out in Congress in 2016 that meaningful bipartisan legislation is poised for success in 2018.

‘Dr. Phil’ Show Denies That Staff Gave Addicted Guests Booze, Drugs Ahead Of Show

The "Dr. Phil" show denied claims made in an expose that the staff gave addicted guests drugs and booze before tapings of the show. "The STAT article does not fairly or accurately describe the methods of 'Dr. Phil,' the TV show, or its mission to educate millions of viewers about drug and alcohol addiction," a rep for the "Dr. Phil" show told Fox News in a statement Friday.

Opioid program funding to be topic in upcoming session

B ills providing resources to address the opioid crisis plaguing Indiana communities will likely receive little debate and strong support during the upcoming short session of the Indiana General Assembly, Columbus legislators say. That's because narcotic addiction threatens the state in ways ranging from public safety to workforce development and education, said State Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus.

Medicinal pot advice OK at VA but no Rxs

Once Arkansas allows medical marijuana sales, veterans in the care of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs physicians can discuss the drug with their doctors, but that's it. In the federal government's eyes, marijuana is an illegal, Schedule 1 controlled substance, meaning the VA won't recommend, prescribe or pay for cannabis.

Duterte’s memorable year of sledges, threats and – rape jokes’

The Philippine president came to office in 2016 with a reputation for vulgar quips - it's fair to say he burnished that reputation further in 2017 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has become notorious for his zero-tolerance approach to narcotics, overseeing a brutal crackdown that has delivered a mounting death toll. However, he has also become infamous for his bellicose, sometimes bizarre public statements.

Ohio’s drug overdose crisis goes from bad to worse

That's up 24 percent over the 3,310 drug deaths the previous year, according to a report released Thursday by the federal government, and slightly higher than the 4,149 reported by The Dispatch last spring based on data compiled from county coroners. Despite increased government spending, Ohio's rate of drug-overdose deaths, 39.1 per 100,000 people, trailed only West Virginia's 52 per 100,000 population.

A month after Border Patrol agent’s death, his fiancee has no answers

One month after a Border Patrol agent died and another was injured in a nighttime incident near Van Horn, Texas, FBI investigators still have drawn no clear conclusion about what happened, according to Jeanette Harper, an FBI special agent and spokeswoman for the agency's El Paso office. But Angela Ochoa, the fiancee of Rogelio "Roger" Martinez, the agent who died, believes the answers may lie with surviving agent Stephen "Michael" Garland, who reportedly cannot remember the night in question.

After a huge cockfighting bust, L.A. County leaders look to crack down on owning roosters

LA sheriff's deputies on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, reportedly found more than 450 game fowl believed to be used in illegal "cock fighting" events on the 8800 block of Pillsbury Avenue in Lancaster. With at least 8,000 cockfighting birds seized from homes in north Los Angeles County this year, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to look into suggestions on how to limit residents from keeping roosters.

Want To Help The Opioid Crisis? Pass Tax Reform

The United States is experiencing a drug epidemic the likes of which have not been seen here before. Beginning in the 1990s, doctors began widely prescribing a class of highly addictive pain medications called opioids for patients with mild to moderate pain.