It took Jeff Sessions just one month to turn Obama-era drug policy on its head

Mandatory minimums are back
The Washington Post (US)
Friday, June 2, 2017

In the month of May alone, the Trump administration, particularly Attorney General Jeff Sessions's Justice Department, steadily ratcheted up its tough-on-crime rhetoric and put in place some policies that give that rhetoric some real-world bite. The big news was a memo from Sessions directing federal prosecutors to pursue the most severe penalties possible for any crime, including drug offenses. That means more mandatory minimum sentences for federal drug crimes, a policy that the Justice Department administration had backed away from under President Barack Obama. Changes to policies governing marijuana and civil asset forfeiture are under consideration, according to the Associated Press.