An 11-year-old Texas cannabis “refugee” has joined a retired NFL football player, an Iraq War veteran and two others in a lawsuit challenging beleaguered Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the federal government’s stance on medical marijuana.
The 88-page complaint comes as Sessions’ Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety is expected to release a review of ties between marijuana use and violent crime. Sessions has been clear about his opposition to cannabis, saying “good people don’t smoke marijuana” and threatening to use superseding federal law to crack down on cannabis companies in states that have declared the herb legal.
“This lawsuit stands to benefit tens of millions of Americans who require, but are unable to safely obtain, cannabis for the treatment of their illnesses, diseases and medical conditions, the successful treatment of which is dependent upon its curative properties,” the complaint reads. “In addition, this lawsuit, if successful, would aid in the restoration of communities hardest hit and most egregiously stigmatized by the federal government’s misguided and Crusades-like “War on Drugs.”
Twenty-nine states plus the District of Colombia and have approved medical marijuana, and eight states plus two U.S. territories have approved it for adult recreational use. The legal cannabis industry is already valued at more than $7 billion and is expected to grow to $50 billion within the next 10 years.
