This is a new era of the war on drugs. Black people have been here before. We’ve seen how the war on drugs has devastated our families and wasted community resources. Black folks have led the way in marijuana decriminalization and reparations efforts for those historically targeted by this war. Sessions’ agenda threatens every hard fought gain and promises even more violence.

Chief federal prosecutors will play the most crucial role in deciding, case by case, whether or not to press charges in states with medicinal and decriminalized marijuana--and some of Sessions’ appointees are staunchly anti-marijuana. But here’s the good news: a lot of them haven’t been confirmed for the job yet. Right now, many of Sessions’ appointees are up for Senate confirmation and many more will be due in the coming months. If we organize now to demand transparency from these nominees, we can make sure no prosecutor determined to target legalized states makes it through.

Here’s why we must act right now: the Judiciary Committee is supposed to review and report on these nominations and the entire Senate body is responsible for confirmations. Sessions has exploited a procedural loophole to bypass Senate confirmation for chief federal prosecutors. This has allowed him to directly, but temporarily, appoint the soldiers of his own choosing for his war on drugs. Many of these appointees have a history of prosecuting marijuana cases during Bush’s administration and the war on drugs. And we can expect more of the same once confirmed in their new role.

Tell the Senate Judiciary Committee to ask the hard questions and reject all nominees for chief federal prosecutor who will seek to continue the war on drugs.

Here is the Petition:

We, the undersigned, urge you to reject confirmation for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ January 4th interim appointees to several US Attorney positions across the country.

Despite evidence of declining crime rates, Sessions has made the “rising tide of violent crime” and reinvigorating the failed war on drugs a top priority. Specifically, recent actions like rescinding the Obama-era Cole Memo, make it clear that he is seeking federal prosecution of marijuana activity. This not only contradicts public opinion polls, but implementation of his guidance on marijuana activity will have a disproportionate negative impact on people of color.

Please weigh each nomination carefully and critically. As chief federal prosecutors, US Attorneys have the power to choose who to bring charges against and how severe those charges will be. As a committee you have the power to reject Sessions’ war on drugs by blocking confirmation for those appointees harboring extremist, anti-factual views on drug policy.