Why is Sessions Fighting Ganja?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ preoccupation, or might I daresay obsession, with ratcheting up the war on drugs, while not surprising to me, is quite baffling in its sheer intensity. This is especially as it relates to ganja.

Initially, I was concerned with the moves to reverse the advances made under the Obama administration regarding drugs. As a huge proponent of decriminalization, the knee-jerk reaction would be to write Sessions off as another bible thumping hypocrite who is targeting a harmless plant while turning a blind eye to the more serious problem of alcohol and even the so-called opioid crisis pummeling the country. But then principles got the best of me, I sought to explore, in the most open-minded way possible, why Sessions is so opposed to ganja.

It is claimed that he has shares in private prisons. This relationship came under the microscope after he took up the post of AG under the Trump administration. Last year, when the fight against ganja seemingly intensified, the website, Crooks and Liars, reported that it was his relationship with private prisons that was influencing his decision. The site asserts that:

“The more people Attorney General Jeff Sessions sends to private prisons, the more money he shoves in his pockets. From announcing he wants federal law enforcement agencies to bust people for a little bit of weed, to ordering federal prosecutors to find ways to convict more immigrants, Sessions is looking for ways to provide more clients to private prisons that are contracted by the federal government…

…As Attorney General Sessions fills these private prisons, he is making money. According to his latest financial disclosures required by Congress, dated December 23, 2016, he divested of other investments that were found to be in conflict. In these disclosures, he also lists numerous Vanguard funds. Vanguard owns more private prison stock than any other investment management company.”

Private prisons account for 12% of the industry, and while some claim that their position and clout is overstated, I am of the view that it can be significant based on how much stake one has in it. With Sessions, this doesn’t seem to be the case, if the reports are right, his share of private prison stocks is barely into four figures. The economic incentive, assuming that all is transparent, is just not there.

This leads one to make another assumption; ideology. The ideological void that exists within the Trump administration is being filled by the Christian right, of which Sessions is a part. The logical conclusion, therefore, is that he is acting on conscience. One, however, is inclined to be cynical and doubt if people who offered their leader so many Mulligans are taking this posture because they have the interest of the American people at heart. I think not. The fight against ganja has never been for altruistic reasons. Profit and control were always the motives.

Private prison corporations contributed much to the Trump campaign. It stands to reason that, Sessions, a longtime anti-ganja campaigner was chosen to assist the private prisons in collecting their dues. There is no free meal, especially in politics; covertly, I suppose, they were promised something for their contribution and Sessions is being used to assist. Since 2013, there has been a fall in the private prison population. Fewer prisoners mean less profit. That is bad for business.

But back to Sessions. In an era when people can stash their money overseas using fake identities and companies, it is difficult to take, at face value, the notion that what we see concerning the AG’s relationship with private prisons is all that there is. Let us assume Sessions only has a few thousand dollars to lose if ganja were legalized/decriminalized at the federal level, or that the corporations’ contribution to the Trump campaign would not have made much of a difference? As said, Sessions has long been against ganja. What therefore would the conclusion be on his present stance? I would say that Sessions and his cheerleaders are a group of retrograde men who want to continue along a trajectory that has caused many deaths; and has left many communities and countries in tatters so that a few could become rich at the expense of the many.

To rob somebody of their freedom because for using something that is harmless is beyond unconscionable. It is evil. To continue with the war on drugs is madness. It has not worked, it will never work. So why does Sessions continue to fight against the herb?

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of the images in this post.