On January 4, 2018, the federal government took a step backwards on the path  towards nationally legalizing marijuana after rescinding the Cole Memorandum, commonly referred to as the Cole Memo. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions released his memo regarding “marijuana enforcement,” leaving weed-legal states susceptible to federal prosecution and challenging a beneficial, multibillion dollar industry.

The Cole Memorandum, an Obama-era document, enforced lawful protection from the federal government for states legalizing marijuana. This motion provided “guidance regarding marijuana enforcement;” the document nonetheless implemented regulations concerning the drug “broadly legalized” in 30 states. The standards specified to whom and by whom the drug could undergo distribution, and enforced environmental policies and restrictions concerning firearms. This federal statement rightly protected the rights of a state government and market economy, while simultaneously addressing the new industry’s risks and implementing rational rulings.

With little logic in mind, Sessions nullified the Cole Memorandum along with the Ogden Memo, a federal statement that protected legal medical marijuana users. From the eyes of Attorney General (AG) Sessions, striking against the marijuana movement may seem as a morally justified move, but in reality, he ignorantly pokes at an economic pillar for many states and jeopardizes the wellbeing of Americans dependent on medical cannabis.

According to CNBC, “Legal U.S. pot sales soared to $5.4 billion for 2015, up 17.4 percent from $4.6 billion in 2014.”

AG Jeff Sessions threatens a legal, structured, and regulated industry that provides hefty revenue for the American people. Where do his priorities lie?

Colorado alone brings forth $506 million in taxes and fees from the marijuana industry in three years, exhibiting the mass potential offered by this plant. Jeopardizing this economic commodity leads one to question the mere use of logical thought in Sessions’ processes.

Not only does the rescinding of the Cole Memorandum challenge states with developed marijuana industries, but it hinders states that too plan on investing their efforts into the growing cannabis economy in the near future.

“The move comes right on the heels of California’s first days of legal retail cannabis sales, which began on Monday, January 1,” Thomas Mitchell said in his Westword article.

The reasons fueling the fight against marijuana retain little logic, especially when considering the scientific breakthroughs promoting marijuana’s medicinal qualities. The federal government schedules cannabis at an equal level of addictive potential as heroin, and at a higher level than methamphetamine and cocaine. Despite this information, Independent.co.uk rates heroin as the most addictive drug in the world, and places nicotine and alcohol in the top five, while only mentioning cannabis regarding its Irish decriminalization. Ironically enough, “only a relatively small percentage” of people who use marijuana may experience addiction; scheduling cannabis with heroin deems as illogical as placing a traffic violator in the same cell as a bloodthirsty killer.  

Such black and white contradictions between federal law and science leads one to question the true purpose in Jeff Sessions’ repealing of the Cole Memo and general intolerance of marijuana. Does it boil down to subjective, personal morals? Is he simply startled by this little green plant? What we, the people of America, do know points to the chains restraining us from a prosperous future—and the federal government holding them down.