I agree with you that this is a bad policy and I don't like it. I'm not sure what is different about Session's changes from what Lynch authorized previously, but it was something I'd hope would be rolled back, not taken a step further.
Yes, the policy previously existed to some extent. It was rolled back to a degree by Holder or Lynch...I don't remember the details exactly and don't have time to research it in depth to be able to say with confidence what the full history is.
What I do know, however, is that we lost the war on drugs a long time ago, and it is CLEAR that current policies aren't working. Whether it was cocaine and crack in the 80s/early 90s, meth and party drugs in the 90s/mid-2000s, or the opioid epidemic in current day, the drug epidemic has morphed, gotten stronger, and has continued to take lives and ruin lives no matter how strict we've gotten with our laws.
Nonetheless, this particular issue isn't even really truly related to the drug war. I don't think anyone has a problem with seizing and forfeiture of assets of CONVICTED drug traffickers. But, the current policy has been heavily abused, and there are hundreds if not thousands of examples of innocent people losing property while having zero link to drug trafficking or anything illegal. One recent case was a Christian band that had their offering and donations seized and forfeited.
It absolutely is in violation of the 4th amendment, and it should be something that unites both groups like the ACLU, Libertarians, and small Government Conservatives.
I referenced the drug war because Sessions has made it clear he's against Criminal Justice reform and wants to increase the use of the same failed war-on-drugs tactics that have neither reduced drug consumption or drug related crime, and has led to surges of violence and prison over-crowding.
I've never believed we should legalize all drugs, but there is clearly a tension between states legalizing marijuana and the Federal Government continuing to list it as a Schedule I controlled substance like Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Cocaine while many opiates are Schedule II, and until recently even Schedule III.
If we don't get serious about treatment and education, and prioritize the deadly drugs out there while working on a plan to decriminalize or legalize certain drugs we will never get out of this mess. You can throw all the money in the world at it, but there's a reason the USA is the world's largest consumer of drugs. By far.
It would he so much cheaper to treat and educate people than the militarization of our police, the extreme medical cost of overdoses and acute medical treatment, and the societal costs and crime that come along with a heavy war on drugs.
Drugs addicts need to be treated as medical issues and properly handled so that we can focus on the cartels, gangs, and traffickers while developing a more sensible drug policy. Why have so many other countries been able to change their policy with positive results and we don't have the will to do it?
