The New York Times of Sunday July 16 brought chilling new evidence that Trump attorney general Jeff Sessions, in direct contradiction of the position stated by Donald J Trump when he was a candidate, plans a federal crackdown on marijuana in the 29 states that have legalized some form of its use. At a campaign rally in Sparks, Nevada on Oct. 29, 2015, Trump said: "The marijuana thing is such a big thing. I think medical should happen — right? Don't we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states. It should be a state situation … but I believe that the legalization of marijuana – other than for medical because I think medical, you know I know people that are very, very sick and for whatever reason the marijuana really helps them – … but in terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state."

According to the Times, attorney general Sessions plans a 1960s style relaunch of the discredited "War on Drugs" which has proved to be an ignominious and expensive failure which has neither stemmed or slowed drug trafficking and abuse nor has rehabilitated victims while leading to mass incarceration of an entire generation of minority Americans for the nonviolent offense of possession of small amounts of drugs.

Business man Donald Trump's skepticism about the war on drugs goes back many years with the real estate titan telling Playboy in an interview that the war on drugs program has been a failure in view of its massive financial cause for interdiction, prosecution and long term incarceration. Trump said at the time that "legalization is the obvious answer".  

Even though candidate Donald Trump pledged during the campaign to support state's rights when it comes to the question of state legalization of marijuana, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security John Kelly, egged on by New Jersey Governor Chris Christi have been not so quietly promoting a coming crackdown on state legalized cannabis.

The Session's strategy is even shiftier and more nefarious than originally reported.  White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer first floated the idea of a Trump administration crackdown on marijuana in a White House press briefing but Spicer said that the administration's concern was not with medical marijuana but with the nine states that have now approved the legal use of marijuana for recreational purposes.  Spicer seemed oblivious to the point that the arduous process of state legalization is for recreation marijuana is identical to the process of legalization for medicinal marijuana and both require the overwhelming support of the voters or the legislatures in the states that have taken this step.