Jeff Sessions ‘appears intent on taking us back to the 1980s’ and the ‘War on Drugs’ – AOL

Attorney General Jeff Sessions vowed on Wednesday to ramp up enforcement of drug crimes to combat what he says is a nationwide increase in violent crime, a move some experts say channels the "drug war" era of the 1980s.

Sessions delivered a speech to law enforcement officers in Richmond, Virginia, where he touted the effectiveness of Project Exile, a two-decade old program that enforced mandatory minimum sentences on felons caught carrying firearms.

"All of us who work in law enforcement want to keep people safe," Sessions said, according to prepared remarks. "That is the heart of our jobs; it is what drives us every day. So we are all disturbed to learn that violent crime is on the rise in America, especially in our cities."

RELATED: Marijuana laws by state

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Marijuana legalization laws by state

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Alabama: Medical use only, otherwise possession is a felony

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Alaska: Marijuana legalized for medical and recreational use

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Arizona: Marijuana legalized for medical use

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Arkansas:Medical use only

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California: Legal for medical and recreational use

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Colorado: Legalfor medical and recreational use

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Connecticut: Decriminalized andlegalized for medical use

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Delaware: Decriminalized

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Florida: Medical use only

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Georgia: Medical use only

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Hawaii: Medical use only

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Idaho: Not legal

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Illinois: Decriminalized

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Indiana: Not legal

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Iowa: Medical use only

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Kansas: Not legal

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Kentucky: Not legal

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Louisiana: Medical use only

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Maine: Legal for medical and recreational use

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Maryland: Decriminalized

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Massachusetts: Legal

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Michigan: Medical use only

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Minnesota: Decriminalized

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Mississippi: Decriminalized on first offense

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Missouri: Not legal

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Montana: Medical use only

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Nebraska: Decriminalized on first offense only

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Nevada: Legal

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New Hampshire: Medical use only

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New Jersey: Medical use only

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New Mexico: Medical use only

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New York: Decriminalized unless in public view

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North Carolina: Decriminalized

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North Dakota: Medical use only

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Ohio: Decriminalized

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Oklahoma: Medical use only

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Oregon: Legal for medical and recreational use

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Pennsylvania: Medical use only

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Rhode Island: Decriminalized

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South Carolina: Not legal

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South Dakota: Not legal

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Tennessee:Medical use only

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Texas: Medical use only, decriminalized in Houston and Dallas

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Utah: Not legal

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Vermont: Decriminalized

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Virginia: Not legal

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Washington: Legal for medical and recreational use

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Jeff Sessions 'appears intent on taking us back to the 1980s' and the 'War on Drugs' - AOL