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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLet us be clear about MMJ raids and people saying Obama is raiding MMJ businesses.
This is happening in CA mostly. It's not happening here in Colorado. At least very rarely.
Here's CA's problem:
The refused all regulation. All the MMJ facilities are "non-profit". And while the facilities may actually be "non-profit", the owners are making ridiculous bonuses and salaries. See, they're full of shit. And the feds know it. It's dealers trying to game the system. Not all. But many. So they have caught the eye of the Feds.
Here in Colorado, where we have heaped lots of regulations on ourselves, the raids ARE NOT HAPPENING. We have made an attempt to be as legitimate, law-abiding, and regulated as possible...and the Feds have left us alone. The ONLY raids you see are when someone breaks state laws. See, it's the state LEO's calling the Feds on the dispensary that are blatantly breaking state laws.
So everybody needs to stop with the "Obama is raiding dispensaries". He may be. But it's such a small part of the truth...it's bullshit.
How do I know this? Wife and I and another partner (a GM and part owner at another dispensary) are currently shopping for a turn key dispensary and grow (you MUST own both in CO). In fact, looked at one a couple of hours ago. We've done boatloads of research and spent thousands of dollars getting our business plan, financials and facts all in a row.
We don't see raids here and regulation is why.
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Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)stop spreading this bullshit meme...and start spreading the truth.
Deep13
(39,154 posts)MMJ is the abbreviation for Medical Marijuana.
We, however, are buying a turn key so that we can be grandfathered in on the retail licenses.
I think medical marijuana is great. And I do believe in it's medicinal values. However...we are about recreational use. We have zero shame in our game and refuse to use MMJ as a Trojan Horse as many have.
nt
Response to Buddyblazon (Original post)
Marr This message was self-deleted by its author.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)Every time I see this bullshit meme about Obama and Holder raiding dispensaries, I get a little bit more pissed.
Well, today was the last time I'm going to read that crap. People need to know it's a load of BS. Obama has been absolutely fantastic for Ganjapraneurs in Colorado.
mwrguy
(3,245 posts)[link:http://www.thenation.com/blog/171547/why-should-medical-marijuana-providers-die-prison#|Wait, you can't because he died in prison.
]
But I guess he doesn't count because he wasn't in Colorado.
shanti
(21,675 posts)Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)Shantibaba?
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)"After a pro-legalization voter initiative passed with strong bipartisan support in 2004, tens of thousands of Montana residents obtained medical marijuana cards and dispensaries cropped up with little regulation."
I think it's horrible he died in custody. And that doesn't mean I agree with them busting anyone for a substance as benign as cannabis. But what you linked to reenforces what I said.
If you want to know what you can do...research "jury nullification" and spread the word. It won't be long before it will be impossible to get a group of 12 people to agree on a marijuana conviction. When convictions become impossible, they'll stop raking people over the coals.
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)When you go into court you are putting your fate into the hands of twelve people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty." - Norm Crosby
Isoldeblue
(1,135 posts)Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)It's very tightly regulated here in NM, haven't seen
any raids.
The River
(2,615 posts)if it weren't for the climate.
As a legit MMJ patient I'll take my
medicine poolside under a palm tree in
the California sunshine any day of the week.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)we're fun.
But my problem with California was the complete ABSENCE of weather.
"Hey...what's the weather supposed to be like today?".
"78 and sunny.".
lol
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)You're getting ready to make a profit off of selling weed, and you want to pooh-pooh the attacks by the Obama administration's DEA and federal prosecutors on people who are selling weed under California's medical marijuana law?
Let's be honest. Nobody knows what is legal and what isnt when it comes to dispensaries in California. Prop 215 didn't really provide for them, and the legislature's earlier attempt to deal with the issue hasn't cleared up anything. There is another bill to try to do something this year and there are a couple of cases before the state Supreme Court that might clear things up.
That said, the Obama administration has raided hundreds of dispensaries and sent threat letters to even more. Theyve targeted well-known, scrupulously-operated dispensaries like Harborside, the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana, the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Santa Cruz, and the Berkeley Patients Group.
They just this week raided the only permitted dispensary in the city of San Diego and raided several dispensaries in Santa Ana--and sent threat letters to every dispensary in the city.
They have also shut down at least two dozen dispensaries in Colorado, not because they were violating state law, but because the feds didn't like their locations.
As someone who hopes to benefit from the work and struggles of the pioneers in California and elsewhere--some of whom are sitting in federal prison right now--it doesn't behoove you to downplay the repression they are facing.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)a lot of nerve for not reading above post where I said:
that doesn't mean I agree with them busting anyone for a substance as benign as cannabis
I then also posted:
If you want to know what you can do...research "jury nullification" and spread the word. It won't be long before it will be impossible to get a group of 12 people to agree on a marijuana conviction. When convictions become impossible, they'll stop raking people over the coals.
Then you have the nerve to say:
They have also shut down at least two dozen dispensaries in Colorado, not because they were violating state law, but because the feds didn't like their locations.
...without explaining why those dispensaries were shut down. Tell them about how they got warning letters from the feds that they had to leave their locations because they were within 1000 feet of school. A silly law perhaps. BUT THEY GOT WARNING LETTERS!!!! THEY TOLD THEM THEY HAD TO MOVE THEIR LOCATIONS!!!! That doesnt sound like the raids going on in California. Not even close. AND MANY SUCCESSFULLY MOVED THEIR BUSINESSES AND HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE FEDS SINCE!!!!
Don't be dishonest with the readers. Don't misrepresent my position as I stated it above and quoted myself here. And don't attempt to mislead DU readers into thinking something nefarious happened here in Colorado.
Are some of these regulations here in Colorado silly (like every store must grow 70% of their own product)? Yes. But it's the price you pay to be able to say, "hey...we are working as hard as possible to be legitimate and be stewards of the plant".
yodermon
(6,143 posts)Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)More of them then actual raids. And as in Colorado, those threat letters generally work. (Nothing like being threatened with having all your property stolen by the government and then being prosecuted to assure compliance.)
Those dispensaries in Colorado were not violating any state laws! So, yes, something nefarious did happen. The feds came in and forced them out of their locations. Some reopened, some didn't. And that 1,000 foot rule is not even a federal law, it's a totally arbitrary measure used for lengthening the sentences of offenders. The feds pulled it out of their asses.
You didn't address all the perfectly legitimate, even well-respected, California dispensaries that have been busted or run out of business.
Jury nullification is nice; but not being prosecuted is better.
The fact remains that the Obama administration has raided hundreds of California dispensaries, issued threat letters to hundreds more, and continues to ignore the will of the voters there. If you want to apologize for that, that's your business, but I find it especially galling coming from someone who plans to get rich selling weed.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)that the Feds have raided hundreds of California dispensaries. True statement. I haven't argued against that at all anywhere in this thread. In fact, it's part of what I'm stating here.
I just happened to be addressing why it happens EXPONENTIALLY more in California than in Colorado.
And agreed. No prosecution is the best.
As far as the respected dispensaries in CA being raided...they aren't operating in a vacuum. They're STILL operating in the same system devoid of regulation that the shady dispensaries are operating in.
My point about the letters is they didn't come in and bust these CO businesses. They gave them letters to move. They moved. The Feds left them alone.
Sgent
(5,857 posts)is to talk to a tax lawyer -- not an accountant in this case (the accountant / client privilege, such as it exists, is weaker than that of attorney's)
The IRS is probably your main concern, and its very possible that you could wind up with extraordinary, non-dischargable, civil liabilities -- not even bringing criminal issues to the table.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)and we have an accountant who also deals with cannabis businesses.
Someone told me it was better to have the accountant as a client of the lawyers. It had something to do with attorney client privileges and the ability to protect yourself.
Is this what you're talking about?
Sgent
(5,857 posts)its a complex issue.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)we WANT to pay taxes. I can't wait until the Feds start taking my tax dollars.
That's the day prohibition is truly over. The state will get us for 40%...and we're fine with that. That's all money that goes to schools and infrastructure and treatment and on and on. And we're ASKING to be taxed by the Feds. That makes us legitimate contributing businesses to society.
Hekate
(90,646 posts)As a Californian (and Obama supporter) I always appreciate fact-based information. I learned something from you.
Best of luck in your enterprise, and I agree about the taxes legitimating the business. I would so love for this iteration of Prohibition and the Drug War to be over.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Regulated weed should be safer, not mixed with harmful chemicals.
Cha
(297,154 posts)they won't stop blaming the President, though.. that's what they live for.
GeorgeGist
(25,319 posts)Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)this is just what people inside the industry think is the reason why California continually gets raided and Colorado does not.
This is the theory of our lawyer(s) and our accountant(s) as well.
randome
(34,845 posts)Vinnie From Indy
(10,820 posts)The fact is that the Feds are raiding MMJ businesses all over the country and not all of these raids are because of the businesses being too close to schools or because the owners are making too much money running them as non-profits. It is undeniable that the Obama Justice Dept. is continuing the war against marijuana.
I would also add that you might feel a bit more secure in CO with the MMJ business you are building, but you shouldn't. I believe that CO is simply the new kid on the block and the feds will get around to you folks as well. You might want to consider that CO growers were left alone last year because of the election rather than your quaint notion that the Feds will respect and leave alone the dispensaries that respect state law.
*****************************************************
"It was a different story in 2012, when Holder kept quiet about legalization initiatives in Washington, Oregon and Colorado, a move one former Justice official said showed how quickly the politics were moving on marijuana legalization. An adviser at the White House at the time said that drug policy officials worried about tipping the electoral balance against Obama in Colorado, a swing state in 2012, and so declined to intervene in either Washington or the Mountain State's pot legalization initiatives, both of which passed by stronger margins than Obama won.
"He was not as active as in 2010," the official said of Holder. "People were genuinely worried about Colorado. And you couldn't talk about Washington without talking about Colorado."
Walsh, the U.S. attorney in Colorado, was less concerned about the electoral stakes. His crackdown on medical marijuana shops that were fully compliant with state laws came in the heat of election season. Obama campaign officials feared a backlash would send likely Obama supporters into the camp of Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.
The Obama administration never publicly backed Walsh's effort, nor did it intervene in the election. Obama won Colorado handily -- though 50,000 more people voted to legalize pot than voted to reelect the president. The implications of that margin were lost on nobody."
More at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/26/obamas-drug-war-medical-marijuana_n_2546178.html
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)Lol...we passed Amd 20 in 2001. "New kids" my ass.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)someone not even aware of how long Colorado has had Medical Marijuana making erroneous statements.
Vinnie From Indy
(10,820 posts)I can tell by your substantive response that you got it all figured out. I am sure you will be fine running your MJ biz. If those damn CA people would just scale back the salaries of the executives and quit locating within 1000 ft of schools they would be left alone too I am sure. Thanks for helping me understand!
Cheers!
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)I'm sure you'll be happy when we get thrown in jail.
Welp...have a day.
Vinnie From Indy
(10,820 posts)I happen to believe that MJ should be decriminalized nationwide. I am just not buying your nonsense about the Obama Justice Department and their actions in regard to enforcing federal law as it relates to MJ. You are simply wrong, but I am not going to spend any more time arguing with you about it.
Cheers and good luck to you!
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)After the Obama administration signalled it would take a hands off approach. Of course, that changed in 2011, when DOJ changed its tune. And that's when the feds moved against some Colorado dispensaries.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)At this point, this is just your word about what's happening.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)The only proof I have is that CO dispensaries haven't had a problem since they came on line in the mid 2000's....and the analysis of our cannabis lawyers. It's been brought up in several executive breakfasts we've attended. This is just common knowledge in the industry.
I know some of you WANT to believe that Obama is just has it out for marijuana businesses. We have seen NOTHING of the sort in the many years we've had a medical marijuana program in this state.
And yes...my word....that's it. Everybody in the industry, even Californians, hold to this theory.
There was even a large discussion about it at the Cannabis Cup this weekend.
But no...no links.
SomethingFishy
(4,876 posts)and for this or any administration to throw away money on a battle they cannot possibly win is nothing but stupidity. Plain and simple.
Defend it all you want, the fact is the drug war does not, did not and never will work. No matter how many MMJ places the justice dept raids it will not stop people from smoking weed.
CK_John
(10,005 posts)Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)And $2 million to the state of California.
It's not tax free in California.
TheKentuckian
(25,023 posts)That way California can act as an example to nudge folks in other states back into line via fear rather than direct action with little political cost while standing behind the flimsy rationale in the OP.
They don't a shit about the right mix of regulations on this issue, only about feeding the private prisons, the pharmaceutical industry, booze manufacturers, and the ready excuse for law enforcement budgets.
