copobo
01-12-2012, 09:56 PM
Feds threaten to shut down 23 Colorado marijuana shops near schools - Boulder Daily Camera (http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_19728612?source=rss)
Federal authorities today issued letters to 23 medical marijuana businesses across Colorado warning them that "action will be taken to seize and forfeit their property" if they continue operating within 1,000 feet of a school.
The letters, sent by U.S. Attorney John Walsh, says that the dispensaries and grow operations have 45 days from today to shut down.
"Those who do not comply will be subject to potential criminal prosecution and civil enforcement actions by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado and the Drug Enforcement Administration," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The release does not identify the locations or names of the affected
businesses, however Boulder likely has several that fit the description. Some dispensaries in Boulder are much closer to schools, having been grandfathered into the city's rules that prohibit dispensaries from operating within 500 feet of a school.The news release says that because the businesses are operating within 1,000 feet of a school, "enhanced penalties apply under federal law."
"When the voters of Colorado passed the limited medical marijuana amendment in 2000, they could not have anticipated that their vote would be used to justify large marijuana stores located within blocks of our schools," Walsh said in the release.
The office said the letters are "merely a first step to address this issue, and the office will continue to insist marijuana stores near schools shut down."
The Boulder City Council earlier this month approved an emergency moratorium on accepting or processing any new business licenses for medical marijuana facilities. City Attorney Tom Carr asked for the timeout, saying the city may have reached a saturation point for medical marijuana businesses.
Kathy Haddock, Boulder's senior assistant city attorney, said today that the city was not made aware of the federal letters ahead of time. But she said there's nothing the city can do to stop the enforcement.
"We don't have any standing to come in and stop the feds," she said. "They can do what they want."
Laura Kriho, director of the Boulder-based Cannabis Therapy Institute, said she was not surprised to hear about the feds taking action.
"I expected it all along and I feel sorry for the dispensaries, because they have walked into this trap," she said. "The state has lulled them into a false sense of security."
Kriho warned employees at Boulder dispensaries to consider switching careers, as the state likely will not back them if the feds raid the businesses.
"The feds don't care and the state doesn't care," she said. "The state is not going to testify in their favor.
"The feds don't screw around."
you can read the letter they sent the MMCs here:
http://tinyurl.com/7qncts7
Federal authorities today issued letters to 23 medical marijuana businesses across Colorado warning them that "action will be taken to seize and forfeit their property" if they continue operating within 1,000 feet of a school.
The letters, sent by U.S. Attorney John Walsh, says that the dispensaries and grow operations have 45 days from today to shut down.
"Those who do not comply will be subject to potential criminal prosecution and civil enforcement actions by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado and the Drug Enforcement Administration," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The release does not identify the locations or names of the affected
businesses, however Boulder likely has several that fit the description. Some dispensaries in Boulder are much closer to schools, having been grandfathered into the city's rules that prohibit dispensaries from operating within 500 feet of a school.The news release says that because the businesses are operating within 1,000 feet of a school, "enhanced penalties apply under federal law."
"When the voters of Colorado passed the limited medical marijuana amendment in 2000, they could not have anticipated that their vote would be used to justify large marijuana stores located within blocks of our schools," Walsh said in the release.
The office said the letters are "merely a first step to address this issue, and the office will continue to insist marijuana stores near schools shut down."
The Boulder City Council earlier this month approved an emergency moratorium on accepting or processing any new business licenses for medical marijuana facilities. City Attorney Tom Carr asked for the timeout, saying the city may have reached a saturation point for medical marijuana businesses.
Kathy Haddock, Boulder's senior assistant city attorney, said today that the city was not made aware of the federal letters ahead of time. But she said there's nothing the city can do to stop the enforcement.
"We don't have any standing to come in and stop the feds," she said. "They can do what they want."
Laura Kriho, director of the Boulder-based Cannabis Therapy Institute, said she was not surprised to hear about the feds taking action.
"I expected it all along and I feel sorry for the dispensaries, because they have walked into this trap," she said. "The state has lulled them into a false sense of security."
Kriho warned employees at Boulder dispensaries to consider switching careers, as the state likely will not back them if the feds raid the businesses.
"The feds don't care and the state doesn't care," she said. "The state is not going to testify in their favor.
"The feds don't screw around."
you can read the letter they sent the MMCs here:
http://tinyurl.com/7qncts7