House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Overnight Defense: Top admiral says 'no condition' where US should conduct nuclear test 'at this time' | Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Pelosi must go — the House is in dire need of new leadership MORE (D-Calif.) Thursday slammed as "shameful" Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE's decision to rescind an Obama-era policy that provided states with leeway to allow recreational marijuana.

"Attorney General Sessions, your unjust war against Americans who legally use #marijuana is shameful & insults the democratic processes that played out in states across the country," Pelosi said in a tweet.

Attorney General Sessions, your unjust war against Americans who legally use #marijuana is shameful & insults the democratic processes that played out in states across the country. — Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) January 4, 2018

Pelosi's comments follow reports that Sessions would roll back the so-called Cole memo, written by former Deputy Attorney General James Cole, which directed attorneys in states where marijuana had been made legal to not make the prosecution of marijuana cases a top priority. Sessions released the official memo rescinding previous guidance on Thursday afternoon.

The decision could put the federal government in conflict with states where marijuana is already legal.

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Sen. Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerAirline job cuts loom in battleground states House approves bill to secure internet-connected federal devices against cyber threats Congress needs to finalize space weather bill as solar storms pose heightened threat MORE (R-Colo.) threatened on Thursday to stall Senate confirmations for Justice Department nominees unless Sessions backtracked on the move.

The Justice Department has called the action a return to the rule of law.

"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," Sessions said in a statement.