Mass Federal Raids on Colorado Pot Hint at a Crackdown Pattern

[madokie]

This week's raids occurred almost simultaneously with Colorado's issuance of the first retail marijuana license in the world.

The coordinated raids of at least a dozen Denver dispensaries on Thursday are the latest federal law enforcement actions to occur in the wake of legalization votes last November in Colorado and Washington states. The coordinated raids in Colorado follow raids that took place in Washingon this summer, and when analyzed side by side, the federal actions hint at an emerging pattern in organized pot crackdowns. Characterized by cooperation across multiple levels of government and timed to deliver maximum political effect, this new method of federal interference with the medical marijuana movement sends a clear message to a marijuana industry still in its formation stages.

Consider a coordinated sweep conducted in the Puget Sound region of Washington state in July of this year. Conveniently timed to coincide with deliberations of the state Liquor Control Board to determine the body's new rules to govern the state's legal retail marijuana industry, the raids targeted four dispensaries around the Sound, including one in the state capital of Olympia.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), in a terse press release, revealed no specific details of the intent behind the Colorado raids except to claim that they comported with the guidelines of the August 29th prosecution memorandum authored by Deputy Attorney General James Cole. That memo advised US Attorneys not to prosecute cannabis businesses in compliance with state law unless they violated one or more of eight internal DOJ guidelines, including prohibitions against sale of cannabis to minors and diversion of marijuana to the illicit market.

It remains to be seen whether any of the dispensaries raided on Thursday violated any of the Cole memo's guidelines. But even if they did, one cannot dismiss the possibility that the pattern of recent raids conducted in Washington and now Colorado reveal a calculated plan to shape the legal cannabis market to come.

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/mass-federal-raids-colorado-pot-hint-crackdown-pattern

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. I cannot help but feel dismay at Holder.

That man has protected the bankers who robbed us blind, he promised never to go after war criminals and torturers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he refused to go after those who committed massive frauds in the Iraq "rebuilding" effort.

But pot smokers, LEGAL ones under state law? Throw the book at them.

[DJ13]

2. Like the banks, Holder is protecting the big monied big pharma

Im sure they see medical marijuana as a threat to their pain med revenue stream.

[HooptieWagon]

3. Holder is carrying out his boss's wishes.

If Obama wanted him to go after murders, torturers, and criminal bankers; he would.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. agreed

or rather, a greed.