orionsbrother's Link
DENVER (AP) — Denver authorities shut down 26 legal marijuana businesses Thursday and arrested 12 people suspected of illegal distribution of pot after a yearlong criminal investigation.
Potential charges relate to marijuana sales exceeding limits set in state law, police said. Colorado allows people 21 and older to possess an ounce or less of marijuana under a measure approved by voters in 2012.
The city department that regulates marijuana businesses issued the order to close the businesses based on the police investigation, spokesman Dan Rowland said. It marked the first time the city has issued an open-ended suspension to any legal marijuana business since sales began in 2014, he said.
Colorado has made a concerted effort to avoid a federal crackdown on its marijuana experiment, including police and government enforcement against illegal marijuana grows or sales.
Gov. John Hickenlooper highlighted those efforts in an August letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who requested information on marijuana legalization. Sessions has been a longtime opponent of state legalization and has suggested the federal government should crack down.
Special Agent Randy Ladd, a spokesman for the Denver division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said the agency wasn't involved. Denver police didn't name any federal agencies as partners in the investigation.
The city's order shuttered 26 retail stores and other marijuana growing facilities operating under the name Sweet Leaf. But the police investigation focused on eight locations licensed by the company, and officers searched those addresses Thursday.
Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said he couldn't provide more detail on the case because of the ongoing investigation. The department didn't name the people arrested.
Matthew Aiken, Christian Johnson and Anthony Suaro, three co-owners listed on the city's order, didn't immediately respond to email messages seeking comment. Company officials told Marijuana Business Magazine in April that they had 350 employees and $60 million in revenue.
Rowland said the businesses can't sell or produce any pot products while the order is in place. The city plans to hold a public hearing within 30 days.
"This is a way for us to put a hold on things so we can figure out what's going on," he said.
Under Colorado law, marijuana businesses must get separate licenses for various purposes, even if they operate out of the same building. For example, a retail store licensed to sell recreational pot also needs a medical marijuana retail license to sell products designated for medical use.
"One thing I always say about legalization is it didn't end law enforcement," said Sam Kamin, a University of Denver marijuana policy law professor. "If you're going to have a system that works, people not complying with regulations need to be shut down."
In Washington state, which also legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, no legal, regulated pot businesses have faced police raids. Some have, however, had their licenses suspended or revoked for failing to follow industry rules.
Sweet Leaf's website lists one store in Oregon and 10 stores in Colorado. An employee who answered the phone at the Oregon store Thursday said they were open.
Mark Pettinger, spokesman for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which regulates recreational marijuana, said Colorado investigators have not contacted the agency but that it's following developments there.
Instead of being successful the easy way, they took the fast route and ended up closed down, broke and possibly in the pokey. Hope the other dispensary owners took note.
Not so sure about that. I think it was last spring he was on here bragging about how his son with the advanced physics degree landed a job as a process engineer at a top company. Turned out it was his pot growing business.
I hope it goes through and we can start making tax revenues off it....
In your stoned-out mind, apparently my defending you makes me a 'weird little creep.'
LOL!
If a person enters this country illegally, he's an illegal alien, by definition.
If a person is selling dope, he's a dope pusher, by definition.
"A rose by any other name is still a rose."
"State legal" users better be careful filling out their ATF 4473's.
;0)
Whining about the liberal clan not being big enough from the most prolific racist on the CF... rather laughable.
Maybe in a drug addled state like Coloweedo you can convince them to legalize child prostitution and then you can REALLY make money with addicted children.....all perfectly LEGAL of course.
. . .
. . .. ..
So by your standards, we are not to call a woman who performs sexual acts at the Nevada Bunny Ranch a Whore? If Prostitution is Legal, then she is not a Whore?
"Anyone who operates a business within the law has my respect. That doesn't mean I have to like their product or patronize them, but they have my respect."
So if your daughter decides she wants to star in a produce porn, you'd resoect that. Cuz ya know, it's legal and all.
Never been a supporter of LHCA, but in this case OB started the thread with the specific intention of giving LHCA a bad time (in general) and about his chosen field of endeavor.
From there it's just a pile on. Really, gentlemen? Is this what we've devolved into?
Every damn person on here has a skeleton or two in their own closet, and if ya say ya don't you're either lyin' or are The Almighty, not to mention the "Holier than Thou" stuff is getting awful thick.
The link from OB shows the City shut down those shops that were breaking the law. Good for them, and as LHCA said, compliance with the law is a must for these businesses.
Some of you are reaching for the far fences with your logic..same way the lefties do with their "facts" when arguing with conservatives. You guys are better than that.
..at least I though Y'all were.
I can promise you, I would have ZERO respect for my daughter if she was doing porn. I would still love her but her choice to do porn would reflect the fact that she had ZERO respect for her father.
I don't smoke, but tend to have a pretty Libertarian outlook on things as long as someone isn't driving while impaired or smoking bath salts and chewing someone else's face off.
And while I do not agree with much of LHCA's politics nor the fashion that he and others choose to interact here, I think that you would be hard pressed to find any underhanded, disrespectful, pedantic posts from me.
I had a fun, tongue in cheek exchange with Rocky some time back, but maintained a polite demeanor while I poked him.
I have not sent religious material or subscriptions to anyone, nor will I.
That's just not me.
To the contrary, I have been delinquent in sending out something that I had intended to take care of two months ago. Daily chaos intrudes upon and deflects good intentions sometimes.
I disagree. A dope pusher is someone who sells drugs for recreational uses. Legal or not it's still WRONG and is profiting from someone else's weakness. The only difference is that in one state the idiots that live there decided to make it legal. And there's no comparison to a "get your kicks" dope pusher and a real pharmacist. Not even close.
But I'll bet my next paycheck that at least one of you out there has at one time enjoyed a good old porno video.........
Ha !!!!!!!!
I think it's much closer to alcohol......
No one that smokes pot is breaking into their parents homes to steal their jewelry to sell to get their drug....
Almost all heroine addicts resort to crime to support their habit.... and virtually none of them are working a full time job....
There's people all over the nation that smoke pot every day and go to work every day.....
Just like someone who might do the same with a few beers every day. Legal or illegal..... people are smoking pot EVERYWHERE......
As a guy who obviously doesn't smoke pot..... I'd like to see the same sin tax on it as is on my beer..... And just maybe our state could fix our shitty roads with some of the tax money....
I think the gov should get out of people's private lives unless the individual is endangering another individual or minor. The leftist and the so called right wing can chip away at our freedom. Remember Bushe's Patriot Act? Now, I can be served a warrant by an FBI agent and instructed to say nothing to nobody about it....a warrant that he wrote himself by the way.
That said, from a biomedical standpoint, if you compare marijuana and alcohol, alcohol is far and away the more dangerous drug. That's right, I said DRUG. Alcohol is sold as a legal, recreational drug. I am a health care professional, and I daily see the results of the ravages of alcohol on people, their families, their entire lives. That is not to say the marijuana use is without risk, especially for developing brains. I don't advocate its use, but I'm not going to be a damn hypocrite and give those who abuse alcohol a pass either. I'd be more than willing to bet that there is more than one Community Forum member in good standing who uses alcohol to excess. No different from the heroin addict or half baked pot head.
You're a porno star, aren't you ??? Ha !!!!
Worth repeating. Good post, my friend.
Ive known pot-heads who will abuse a bag of Doritos, but never their wives, or other loved ones. I can't say that for drunks.
Matt
And Rick is very correct in his comment about marijuana and the developing brain. Numerous studies have shown deleterious effects. The human brain does not reach complete maturity until the mid to late '20's.
Pot is illegal in all states according to the Feds and is illegal in the vast majority of the states.
In addition, a glass or two of wine is not in any way 'mind altering,' yet as I understand it, the ONLY reason people smoke a joint is because of 'mind altering.'
I do not WANT a 'buzz' at any point.
Two glasses of wine gives me ZERO buzz. NONE!
By "mind altering" do you mean being able to relax the same way you might after a couple glasses of wine? Truth is, in moderation that is exactly what marijuana does.
Certain strains of MJ act as a "vestibular suppressant", meaning it suppresses activity on that nerve. This function stops me from having vertigo attacks about 90% of the time, which also means I'm not puking my guts up for 4-10 hrs. straight (several times a month) as a result of said vertigo attack. I have Bilateral Meniere's Disease, and it's an SOB to live with. Is that what you mean by "mind altering"? For me, it was LIFE altering.
I'm neither a "stoner" or a "pothead", in fact I consider myself a fairly straight-laced conservative Republican. I've also used MJ every day for close to 10 years now. Even though the bad attacks are rare, I still can't get out and do much; I spend my time learning about all the things I've ever been interested in...from history to physics. I can still hold an intelligent conversation with just about anyone, and on most any topic.
Never been charged (or accused) of any crime, and my last traffic ticket was back in July of 1991. I'm an honest person, and sure as hell ain't stupid.
FWIW, I'm not pro-legalization, as there are consequences when young people use it. I buy from a legal retail shop, meaning the state gets it's taxes (25-50%).
Moral: Don't lump everyone into the same ball of dough, especially when you have little/no personal experience with the subject.
Matt
Maxine your reading comprehension is poor. Low morality and sin go hand in hand. You should quit this thread before you look dumber than you do at this point. You ignorance has reached a new level.
And your spelling is poor.
So which one is Josh now? Atheist, LHCA or one of the many others...
I think I read Willie Nelson has to use O2 these days due to emphysema and the abuse his lungs have taken.
The Ranch I hunt is south of the Border Patrol check point on Hwy 77. On the return trip every vehicle is checked over by one of their drug sniffing dogs. If he keys on your vehicle its searched and taken apart looking for drugs. Never had any use for pot heads.
I have had 2 beers in about 4 years. I actually love beer but feel that pretty much every poor decision I have made in my life was due to alcohol.
As far as my kids working at a grocery....I would be extremely proud of them . As a kid they can't sell alcohol and as an adult, they won't be working at a grocery store.
As far as selling alcohol, I don't think it is immoral, I just have issue selling alcohol to someone who doesn't pay their electric bill or feed their children over their booze. I don't have an issue with drinking or smoking pot in moderation but I am not interested in being part of the process whether it is partaking or selling.
Nice try Maxine but no. Try to quit being a cry baby snowflake. Maybe the CF should take up a collection and send you a box of tampons.
There's a well considered and crafted response (sarcasm off). Is this what passes for "discussion" on the CF these days? It's worse than I thought, apparently.
Iktomi,
You must have not got the memo. CF now stands for Children's Forum. A place where grown men get in touch with their inner child.
;)
Matt
Cigarettes will kill you as fast or faster than weed or alcohol.......
But I never hear anyone trying to infringe on a person's right to smoke.... As long as it's not in a public space where others have to breath your smoke........
So I don't get it why some of you care so much if someone wants to smoke weed every day....
Don't do it if you don't want to. Don't let your kids do it. But stop telling everyone else what to do...... I mean sheesh..... isn't this the almighty Bowsite Community Forum,,,, Supporters of the Constitution ???
There are advertisements all over the state. Come to our clinic.... We guarantee to give you a medical marijuana card on site for $200.
So everyone fully knows that the medical marijuana card program in place is bull shit.....
So if a guy has the $200.... he can legally smoke pot...
But if a guy can't afford the $200..... Guess what.... he gets to go to jail for the exact same thing....... Sorry homeless guy.....
Get rid of all that silly shit. Legalize it. Tax it just like you tax my beer.... And use the money to fix our damned roads !!!
Yes, and you whine here almost as bad as Kpc. Close but not as bad.
Do you ever try to give any input on a topic ?? Sheesh....
Until an individual endangers another person's safety or welfare it shouldn't be anybody's bussiness. With real freedom comes personal responsibility.
The fact that smoked weed is usually: unfiltered, drawn deeper into the lungs and held longer is beginning to show that long term marijuana smokers are starting to show statistically the same effects as tobacco smokers in a number of studies.
It isn't the nicotine that leads to emphysema and cancers, but the other byproducts of burning tobacco. Same with weed...not the THCs, but the chemicals due to the burning plant material.
I used to act as deiner (assistant) to pathologist at autopsies. Smokers (tobacco and marijuana) exhibit the same damages to their lungs. Black spots of accumulated smoke seen on surface and throughout the lung tissue.
Marijuana users would be better off either eating or using weed for suppositories. ;o)
All I can tell you Fredrica is that it's fun. I already made the point that there is money in sin. Maxine didn't understand that which is no surprise. It appears you didn't either.
I also like a thick medium rare filet with a little fat still on it, mushrooms cooked in butter and salt, a veggie preferably covered in some creamy cheese sauce, and garlic bread.
I hope to enjoy all of these indulgences until I die. If one, or all of them proves to be the reason I die, so be it. Everyone dies from something, I'd prefer to die from something I've enjoyed my entire life.
I hope you all still respect me.
Matt
