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U.S. Attorney John Walsh sent out 10 letters to medical marijuana dispensaries within 1,000 feet of schools in southern Colorado on Friday ordering them to close.
This is the third wave of letters sent by Walsh within the past year ordering medical marijuana dispensaries near schools to close within 45 days or face prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Walsh's office would not identify the 10 targeted businesses.
It's part of a Justice Department effort to protect children from the exposure to marijuana and the dispensaries, said Jeff Dorschner, a spokesmen for the agency.
In January, 23 dispensaries received a similar letter and in March, 25 more dispensaries got the same order. All of them complied, Dorschner said.
A fourth wave of letters will be sent out toward the end of the year, but Dorschner would not say how many letters are planned.
While patients with certain medical conditions can legally use marijuana under a voter-approved Colorado constitutional amendment, the drug is still banned by federal law.
The Justice Department is going after a few Colorado dispensaries at a time because of limited resources, he said.
So far, in Colorado Springs, SSI Care Centers, Indispensary and Westside Wellness Center have closed after receiving a letter. Two other Colorado Springs dispensaries, Altitude Organic and Discreet Treats, were forced to relocate.
Dispensaries forced to move must reapply to state and city governments for a new license, which can take many months to process.
When the dispensaries first started opening after a 2010 state law sanctioned them, a Colorado Springs ordinance required the shops locate at least 400 feet from schools, said Tanya Garduno, president of Medical Cannabis Council.
"Before the letters were sent, all the dispensaries were in complete compliance," she said.
Clifton Black, a Colorado Springs lawyer who advises dispensaries on medical marijuana laws, said the Justice Department might continue to use selective enforcement because it doesn't receive as much criticism as going after all dispensaries.
"I think what is really going on is they are conquering and dividing," Black said. "I don't think they are going to stop."
Black said dispensaries near day care centers, residential drug treatment centers, public swimming pools and video game arcades could be future targets.
Black advises his clients that opening a dispensary is against federal law, because the federal government has the final word on dispensaries.
"They can shut them down with the cost of a postage stamp," Black said.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: gazette.com
Author: Mary Shinn
Contact: Contact The Gazette | gazette, contact, information - Contact Us - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO
Website: Medical marijuana dispensaries near schools ordered to close | dispensaries, marijuana, schools - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO
This is the third wave of letters sent by Walsh within the past year ordering medical marijuana dispensaries near schools to close within 45 days or face prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Walsh's office would not identify the 10 targeted businesses.
It's part of a Justice Department effort to protect children from the exposure to marijuana and the dispensaries, said Jeff Dorschner, a spokesmen for the agency.
In January, 23 dispensaries received a similar letter and in March, 25 more dispensaries got the same order. All of them complied, Dorschner said.
A fourth wave of letters will be sent out toward the end of the year, but Dorschner would not say how many letters are planned.
While patients with certain medical conditions can legally use marijuana under a voter-approved Colorado constitutional amendment, the drug is still banned by federal law.
The Justice Department is going after a few Colorado dispensaries at a time because of limited resources, he said.
So far, in Colorado Springs, SSI Care Centers, Indispensary and Westside Wellness Center have closed after receiving a letter. Two other Colorado Springs dispensaries, Altitude Organic and Discreet Treats, were forced to relocate.
Dispensaries forced to move must reapply to state and city governments for a new license, which can take many months to process.
When the dispensaries first started opening after a 2010 state law sanctioned them, a Colorado Springs ordinance required the shops locate at least 400 feet from schools, said Tanya Garduno, president of Medical Cannabis Council.
"Before the letters were sent, all the dispensaries were in complete compliance," she said.
Clifton Black, a Colorado Springs lawyer who advises dispensaries on medical marijuana laws, said the Justice Department might continue to use selective enforcement because it doesn't receive as much criticism as going after all dispensaries.
"I think what is really going on is they are conquering and dividing," Black said. "I don't think they are going to stop."
Black said dispensaries near day care centers, residential drug treatment centers, public swimming pools and video game arcades could be future targets.
Black advises his clients that opening a dispensary is against federal law, because the federal government has the final word on dispensaries.
"They can shut them down with the cost of a postage stamp," Black said.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: gazette.com
Author: Mary Shinn
Contact: Contact The Gazette | gazette, contact, information - Contact Us - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO
Website: Medical marijuana dispensaries near schools ordered to close | dispensaries, marijuana, schools - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO
