The Marijuana Legalization Company More Relevant Than Ever;
The Important Role of Informed Investors Conservative Republicans
Strongly Object
LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan. 05, 2018 (NewMediaWire) -- Clifford J. Perry
and Richard Cowan, Co-Founders of Freedom Leaf, Inc.,
"The Marijuana Legalization Company®" (OTCQB: FRLF), a
group of diversified, international, vertically-integrated
Cannabis/Hemp businesses and media companies, issued a statement
today noting that Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ supposedly “new”
marijuana policy is no threat to FRLF, which
is compliant with all relevant laws, in the U. S. and Europe.
Freedom Leaf CEO, Clifford J. Perry, explained, “We believe that
The Marijuana Legalization Company® has an important role to play
in educating marijuana investors and the extreme volatility of
Cannabis related shares over the last few days illustrates that
point. While we are very grateful for the buying in FRLF shares
following legalization in California, the fact is that it will have
little or no impact on FRLF as we do not handle, grow, sell, or
dispense marijuana, but neither will Sessions’s threats, which
sparked a sell-off in our shares.”
Richard Cowan, a former Executive Director of NORML (National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), a long time
marijuana author and activist, noted that there is really nothing
new in Sessions’ statement because, when he first became Attorney
General, he said, “We should enforce the laws as we are able.” That
is really all that yesterday’s DoJ memo “announcing a return to the
rule of law and the rescission of previous guidance documents”
said.
Cowan explained, “The Federal Government simply does not have
the resources to suppress America’s booming cannabis industries. If
they couldn’t stop it 20 years ago, when it was in its infancy,
they certainly can’t stop it now.
“Sessions’s statement may have been intended to satisfy his
Prohibitionist friends, but unfortunately, it was so vague that it
is also a threat to medical marijuana laws, which are supported by
over 80% in national polls and which candidate Trump promised to
uphold.”
Cowan noted, “Marijuana Legalization was the only clear winner
in the 2016 elections, and we beat the Drug Warriors in every
state, except one out of the eight on the ballot. In Arizona,
recreational legalization lost with 46.68%, where President Trump
won with 49.5%.
“Sessions is reportedly already ‘on thin ice’ with the
President, so the timing of this announcement is puzzling. After
these overwhelming victories for the marijuana movement. No one has
a mandate to oppose the will of the people that was so clearly
expressed in these elections.”
Cowan also noted that many of the states where the people voted
for marijuana reform (in 2016 or before) also have Republican
Senators: Alaska (2), Arkansas (2), Colorado (1), Florida (1),
where Marco Rubio won reelection with 51.9% and medical marijuana
got 71.32%, Maine (1), Montana (1), Nevada (1), North Dakota (1).
Nevada Republican Senator Dean Heller is up for reelection this
year and is considered especially vulnerable.
Moreover, Gallup reports that over 60% of Americans now support
marijuana legalization, whereas President Elect Trump got less than
48% of the popular vote. Nonetheless, there has been a rash of
alarmist articles about how the Trump administration might somehow
block the clear will of the people, but they rarely consider the
blowback from such a policy reversal, especially from
Republicans.
Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C., allow marijuana for
medical or recreational purposes. “Will they represent their voters
or the DEA?" Cowan asked. The answer came immediately.
Yesterday, Colorado senator Cory Gardner, chairman
of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that
funds GOP Senatorial candidates and is consequently very
influential in the 2018 midterm elections, is especially angry. He
told reporters last winter that he would vote to confirm Sessions
as Attorney General only after securing Sessions' word that the
Justice Department would not interfere with state-level decisions
about marijuana policy.
Gardner Tweeted: "I will be putting today a
hold on every single nomination from the Dept. of Justice until
Attorney General Jeff Sessions lives up to the commitment that he
made to me on legalized marijuana in Colorado.”
Other conservative Republicans with ties to President Trump also
denounced Sessions’ action. Orange County Republican Representative
Dana Rohrabacher, an old friend of both Trump and Sessions, issued
a press release saying, “The attorney general of the United
States has just delivered an extravagant holiday gift to the drug
cartels. By attacking the will of the American people, who
overwhelmingly favor marijuana legalization, Jeff Sessions has
shown a preference for allowing all commerce in marijuana to take
place in the black market, which will inevitably bring the spike in
violence he mistakenly attributes to marijuana itself. He is doing
the bidding of an out-of-date law enforcement establishment that
wants to wage a perpetual weed war and seize private citizens’
property in order to finance its backward ambitions.
“This is a profound misreading of the Constitution, which allows
states, not the heavy-handed federal government, to determine such
issues. How ironic that the attorney general has long championed
states’ rights when it suits other parts of his agenda! More than
that, by attacking the clear will of the American people, the
attorney general contradicts President Trump’s campaign pledges to
leave medical and recreational marijuana questions for the states
to decide. By taking this benighted minority position, he actually
places Republicans’ electoral fortunes in jeopardy.”
Other Republicans also reacted negatively. See Washington
Post article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/01/04/what-republicans-are-saying-about-jeff-sessions-war-on-marijuana/?utm_term=.314cea3b9c21
The full text of the Memo and a link to the DoJ Press
Release:
Justice Department Issues Memo on Marijuana
Enforcement
Thursday, January 4, 2018
“The Department of Justice today issued a memo on federal
marijuana enforcement policy announcing a return to the rule of law
and the rescission of previous guidance documents. Since the
passage of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970, Congress
has generally prohibited the cultivation, distribution, and
possession of marijuana.
“In the memorandum, Attorney General Jeff Sessions directs
all U.S. Attorneys to enforce the laws enacted by Congress and to
follow well-established principles when pursuing prosecutions
related to marijuana activities. This return to the rule of law is
also a return of trust and local control to federal prosecutors who
know where and how to deploy Justice Department resources most
effectively to reduce violent crime, stem the tide of the drug
crisis, and dismantle criminal gangs.”
"It is the mission of the Department of Justice to enforce
the laws of the United States, and the previous issuance of
guidance undermines the rule of law and the ability of our local,
state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners to carry out
this mission," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "Therefore,
today's memo on federal marijuana enforcement simply directs all
U.S. Attorneys to use previously established prosecutorial
principles that provide them all the necessary tools to disrupt
criminal organizations, tackle the growing drug crisis, and thwart
violent crime across our country."
Full text of Press
Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1022196/download
About Freedom Leaf
Freedom Leaf, Inc., The Marijuana Legalization Company®, is a
fully reporting and audited, publicly traded company trading under
the symbol (OTCQB: FRLF). Freedom Leaf, Inc. is a
leading go-to resource in the cannabis, medical marijuana, and
industrial hemp industry. It is involved in mergers and
acquisitions and business consulting in the marijuana industry,
including incubation/acceleration and spin offs of new
marijuana/hemp related companies.
Freedom Leaf, Inc.’s flagship publication is Freedom Leaf
Magazine, “The Good News in Marijuana Reform.” The company produces
a portfolio of news, print and digital multi-media verticals,
websites, blogs and web advertising, for the ever-changing emerging
cannabis, medical marijuana and industrial hemp industry.
Freedom Leaf, Inc. does not handle, grow, sell, or
dispense marijuana.
All of our European activities are in full compliance
with relevant EU laws.
Corporate Website and Investor Relations
www.FreedomLeafInc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this press release that are not strictly
historical are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These
forward-looking statements, including any financial projections
above, generally can be identified by phrases such as Freedom Leaf,
Inc. or its management “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,”
“foresees,” “forecasts,” “estimates” “projections” or other words
or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements herein that
describe the Company’s business strategy, outlook, objectives,
plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. All
such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause
or contribute to differences include the uncertainty regarding
viability and market acceptance of the Company’s products and
services, changes in relationships with third parties, and other
factors described in the Company’s most recent periodic filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual
Report on Form 10-K dated June 30, 2017 and quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Raymond Medeiros
PR and Business Development Director
Phone: 415-601-1974
Ray@FreedomLeaf.com
Freedom Leaf, Inc.
3571 East Sunset Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89120