A Weekly Roundup of Stories We Found Interesting – From The Profound To The Profane

Jeff Sessions is On a Crusade to Stamp Out Legal Marijuana
Attorney General Jeff Sessions will rescind an Obama-era policy, known as the Cole Memo, that has paved a way for legal marijuana in some states. But Republicans are warming to legal weed. A 2016 Gallup poll showed that for the first time, a majority of Republicans support legalizing the drug.

Why Jeff Sessions’ War on Weed Won’t Kill the Industry
CNBC thinks that Sessions’ decision is “more bark than bite”. The genie is out of the bottle, and there is simply too money involved in the legalized states for the attorney general to mess with. It also looks like Sessions will leave it up to state attorneys to choose whether they want to crack down or not.

Lawmakers Are Furious Over Justice Department Decision on Marijuana Enforcement
The U.S. Department of Justice decision to rescind Obama-era guidance on marijuana enforcement elicited furious statements from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. At least one Senator, Republican Cory Gardner of Colorado, threatened to hold up judicial nominations until the decision was reversed. Another questioned how the Justice Department could justify allocating resources to go after legal users when there are other pressing issues to address. And at least one expressed hope that this action would push Congress to ultimately legalize cannabis.

Mike Tyson Breaks Ground on 40-Acre Marijuana Farm
Former boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson broke ground last month on a facility in the California desert that will grow high-quality weed.

More Banks Welcome Marijuana Businesses, Federal Data Shows
Even as a string of conflicting signals from the Trump administration surrounds the debate about legalization with uncertainty, the number of depository institutions that are actively banking the cannabis industry has increased roughly 18% since the beginning of 2017.

How Do California’s New Marijuana Laws Actually Work?
Marijuana is now fully legal in California. To smoke. To sell it? That’s a bit trickier. California is essentially serving as a pioneer that other states, especially those that have legalized recreational use, will be examining closely. Here’s how the law works.