Jeff Sessions Says Marijuana 'Only Slightly Less Awful' Than Heroin

Attorney General Jeff Sessions signaled Wednesday that his view of marijuana is much more negative than that of his predecessor, Loretta Lynch, saying that the drug that has been legalized to some extent in dozens of states is "only slightly less awful" than heroin.

"I reject the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in every corner store," he said in a statement before law enforcement in Richmond, Virginia. "And I am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing marijuana — so people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another that’s only slightly less awful."

He continued: "Our nation needs to say clearly once again that using drugs will destroy your life."

Sessions' Justice Department, which contains the Drug Enforcement Administration, technically classifies marijuana and heroin at the same level of restriction; they are both currently Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Technically, this classification does not mean that heroin and marijuana are equally dangerous, but the DEA and Justice Department have not always been clear on this matter.

In August of 2015, Chuck Rosenberg, then the head of the DEA, admitted that heroin is "clearly more dangerous than marijuana." Previous heads had been reluctant to admit as much. In 2016, the agency rolled back language on its website that characterized marijuana as one of the "most dangerous drugs."

Some recent evidence has suggested that medical marijuana laws can reduce the incidence of opioid pain killer hospitalizations. However, with marijuana classified as a Schedule I drug, it's still very difficult for researchers to perform extensive tests on its safety.

But the National Institute on Drug Abuse acknowledges that there's very little chance of overdose from marijuana use. Meanwhile, recent rises in opioid overdoses have driven a startling spike in drug-related deaths.

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