The federal crackdown on state legal medical marijuana dispensaries continues in California and Colorado. In the fall of 2011, the two U.S. Attorneys for the State of Washington sent letters to 40 landlords that leased to medical marijuana dispensaries and threatened to take legal action to confiscate their land if they did not cancel their leases with the dispensaries. Would be Arizona dispensary owners and their prospective landlords should read the following stories:
- Feds continue crackdown on CA pot dispensaries
- Fed pot crackdown hits Colo. shops near schools – “Federal officials on Thursday began a California-style crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado that targets those located near schools . . . . U.S. Attorney John Walsh said 23 dispensaries within 1,000 feet of schools have until Feb. 27 to shut down or face federal penalties, which can include asset seizure or forfeiture of property. The warning letters dated Thursday were being sent to dispensary owners and their landlords.”
- Extensive Colo. pot rules don’t prevent crackdown – “U.S. Attorney John Walsh in Denver sent letters this week to 23 dispensaries near schools telling them to shut down or else. The warnings are the strongest message to date that federal law enforcement won’t tolerate commercial marijuana sales in Colorado.”
- Fed med marijuana crackdown may come to Colorado – A December 14, 2011, story that appears to have predicted this Colorado crackdown. “Federal authorities are considering a statewide crackdown on medical marijuana businesses in Colorado in the first sign that a coordinated offensive against the industry is expanding from California. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Wednesday that such an enforcement action is under consideration for Colorado early next year
