Feds hold closed-doors meetings with Colorado officials known to have doubts about weed
Federal Department of Justice and drug policy officials met privately Wednesday with Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, local police and other community leaders as part of an apparent statewide, closed-door tour focusing on Colorados burgeoning legal marijuana industry.
Update: Feds visit Colorado to research marijuana regulation, black market, enforcement
The visits aimed to find out what law enforcement and other regulatory agencies view is toward marijuana regulation in Colorado, Suthers said. And it marked the second such day of meetings setting off concern among marijuana advocates of federal interference from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a strident marijuana opponent.
On Monday, Department of Justice and White House Office of Drug Control and Policy officials met with Gov. John Hickenloopers staff, state marijuana regulators, the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and the U.S. Attorneys Office, Suthers said.
A day later, they met in Suthers office for an hour, while also speaking with Colorado Springs police commanders and the Drug Enforcement Agencys resident agent, he added. Suthers input centered around the huge black market that still exists across Colorado, and much of it concerned sensitive case investigations that cannot be discussed publicly, he said.
He added the federal officials were interested in the nature and extent of black market activity here.
Later, the federal officials spoke to local medical and education officials to learn about the impacts of cannabis on our city, a city spokeswoman said.
A full accounting of the visit was not released Wednesday, and requests for comment by The Gazette to both federal agencies were not returned.
Everyone in Colorado Springs known to have met with the federal officials has either expressed strong concern about legalized marijuana or opposition.
They included Dr. Kenneth Finn, who has given presentations to local elected officials on the medical dangers he sees in marijuana use.
Finn confirmed to The Gazette that he met with the federal officials, but declined to say what was discussed, saying, I think it was somewhat confidential.
The secretive nature of the meetings led to speculation and concern by a local marijuana advocate about greater federal involvement in local drug cases. And he voiced frustration that the meetings likely painted a one-sided picture of the states pot industry, at a time when marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
Its giving them the in to come after the industry thats the fear, said Jason Warf, executive director of the Southern Colorado Cannabis Council.
His concern is rooted in President Donald Trumps appointment of Sessions to lead the Department of ...
