Medical Marijuana Crackdown: 25 Colo. Dispensaries Receive Letters From Feds Saying Move Or Shut Down\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPosted: 03/23/2012 4:40 pm Updated: 03/23/2012 4:56 pm\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t #news_entries #ad_sharebox_260x60 img {padding:0px;margin:0px} On Friday, the U.S. Attorney's office issued letters to the owners of 25 medical marijuana dispensaries located within 1,000 feet of a school notifying them they have 45 days to close, move their business or face criminal charges, The Denver Post reports. The pot shops are located in various cities across the state, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. This is the second round of letters sent out to dispensaries near schools. Letters were sent out to 23 other medical marijuana businesses in Colorado in mid-January in what was the most aggressive law-enforcement action against the medical marijuana industry that the federal government has pursued in the state. The reasoning behind the 1,000 foot boundary stems from federal law which uses that measurement as a factor in drug crime sentencing. There are many dispensaries in Colorado that are within 1,000 feet of schools, according to High Times, because they were approved by local laws to do so. However, the federal law trumps the state law. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of police officers, judges and prosecutors who used to enforce drug law and are now trying to end the war on drugs, sent a strongly worded letter to Walsh, pushing back against the January crackdown: Dear U.S. Attorney John Walsh: As fellow law-enforcement colleagues vitally interested in the health and well-being of children, we must respectfully register our fundamental objection to your recent issuance of 23 letters threatening state-legal Colorado Medical Marijuana Centers and their landlords with civil, criminal and forfeiture sanctions. That you would justify this action on the basis of the locations in question being too close to schools for your liking (compliance with state and local law notwithstanding) is ironic and highlights the failure of the very federal marijuana prohibition policy that underlies the threats in your letter, as we'll explain. Certainly, you must be aware that the voters of Colorado and the Colorado legislature – like the voters and lawmakers of 16 other states – have made it abundantly clear that marijuana is medicine for many people and for many ailments, and that its use and provision to patients should be allowed under the law. Almost two years ago, in a bipartisan fashion, the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives enacted a strict dual licensing system for Medical Marijuana Centers that requires a license by the local and state government. All the businesses you have targeted are operating with approval from their local governments and the state of Colorado. Read the letter in its entirety here. LEAP has not yet issued a statement about this latest round of letters. The continued medical marijuana crackdown in Colorado does seem oddly timed. It arrives just months after the state's Department of Revenue seeking reclassification of marijuana as a Schedule 2 drug as to allow doctors to prescribe it as medical treatment. There's also the December 2011 poll released by Public Policy Polling showing that a large group of Coloradans believe that marijuana should not just be legal medically, but fully legalized. From the Public Policy report: Coloradans are even more strongly in favor of legalizing marijuana, and they overwhelmingly believe it at least should be available for medical purposes. 49% think marijuana use should generally be legal, and 40% illegal. But explicitly for medical use, that rises to a 68-25 spread. Just five years ago, a referendum to legalize simple possession by people over 21 failed by 20 points. On the medical question, Democratic support rises from 64% for general use to 78%; Republicans rise from 30% to 50%, and independents from 54% to 75%.While the feds crackdown on medical marijuana shops, the Campaign To Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, a collective of marijuana activist groups and individuals including SAFER, Sensible Colorado, NORML and others, succeeded in getting a recreational use legalization initiative on the ballot for November 2012. Known as Amendment 64, the marijuana prohibition ending measure recently received a majority of support by Denver Republicans with fifty-six percent of the delegates at the Denver County Republican Assembly voting to support the legislation. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPosted: 03/23/2012 4:40 pm Updated: 03/23/2012 4:56 pm\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t geted are operating with approval from their local governments and the state of Colorado. Read the letter in its entirety here. LEAP has not yet issued a statement about this latest round of letters. The continued medical marijuana crackdown in Colorado does seem oddly timed. It arrives just months after the state's Department of Revenue seeking reclassification of marijuana as a Schedule 2 drug as to allow doctors to prescribe it as medical treatment. There's also the December 2011 poll released by Public Policy Polling showing that a large group of Coloradans believe that marijuana should not just be legal medically, but fully legalized. From the Public Policy report:
This is ridiculous. By all means I get the 1,000ft rule since most places already follow this, but they're completely overstepping their bounds. We as a state have written the legislation and have the strictest mmj program in the country to protect the community as a whole, not just children. The fact that they're hiding behind "protecting children" is a huge fucking crock of shit. You're telling me the students at CU are children? Get the fuck outta here with that. When does the responsibility kick in for the parents who should be involved with their children, who should know what's going on in their life outside home? Plus why are these parents still probably lying to their children about marijuana and it's "demons"? I think this will only piss the CO people off even more and push us even closer to legalization. We're over this, we're tired of being threatened and bullied...so let's fucking throw down Feds. We clearly aren't afraid of your BS. We're pretty much one of the only states who will tell you where to shove it, so come on...come at us bros! Let the whole country get behind us and tell you to FUCK OFF AND END MARIJUANA PROHIBITION!
The Cali AG basically told the feds to back off in a letter. Basically, what that got out of them was that it really wasn't about 1000 ft, it was that ALL dispensaries are illegal. So what it has turned into here, is that if a city or county (or a group or citizen for that matter) wants to take down a dispensary, they just call the feds. From what I'm seeing, CO is 6 to 9 months behind on this - hmmmmm, maybe they're saving the big raids for right before the elections.
The dispensary owners should have found locations well over 1000 feet from any church,school or park where children play and the distance should have been measured as the crow flies because the feds can travel the distance in a helicopter,,so it stands to reason that children could use their helicopters also.
I sure am glad the feds are protecting the kids from being around this harmful substance, only billion dollar pharmacies with big huge signs that light up should be near schools.
Don't be surprised to see a rise in the delivery services an banning on all dispensaries. That is what they did in my county. They like this with no weed clubs around but patients that need their Meds can still get them.
They can save their big raids...it'll only make us more pissed off and vote yes for our legalization bill, I guarantee you. Our state constitution allows mmj...so I really think it's going to end in a battle ...a loonng lengthy battle about state rights, and the feds being the usual assholes they are. Well I'm pretty sure delivery services are not allowed here by state law. Might need to double check, but I'm almost positive we don't have any delivery services here in CO for over a year now.
[quote name='"DancingVinodini"'] They can save their big raids...it'll only make us more pissed off and vote yes for our legalization bill, I guarantee you. Our state constitution allows mmj...so I really think it's going to end in a battle ...a loonng lengthy battle about state rights, and the feds being the usual assholes they are. Well I'm pretty sure delivery services are not allowed here by state law. Might need to double check, but I'm almost positive we don't have any delivery services here in CO for over a year now.[/quote] Thats crazey. I live in NorCal an all our shops are gone an its only delivery around here. They like cuz they still get there Meds with out having to see pot shops ever where