As bad as the opiate crisis is for the rest of Americans, it’s even worse for veterans. “A 2011 Veterans Affairs study found that veterans were twice as likely to die from an opioid overdose compared to the rest of the population.” And now some vets are telling Jeff Sessions to let them give pot a try. “We see cannabis not as a gateway drug. We see it as an exit path off opiates.”

+ “Marijuana isn’t a gateway drug to opioid addiction; it’s a safer alternative to pain medicines. Mr. Sessions’s vow to crack down on marijuana will only make the opioid epidemic worse.” NYT: Marijuana Can Save Lives.

+ Vox: Jeff Sessions: marijuana helped cause the opioid epidemic. The research: no.

+ “My take is you have to get really, really tough, really mean with the drug pushers and the drug dealers.” NPR: Trump Says He Will Focus On Opioid Law Enforcement, Not Treatment. (Poppycock.)