Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Colorado Springs - Law enforcement raids on a handful of pot 'gifting' shops are shining a light on the massive divide between the licensed, tax-paying medical marijuana businesses and the growing number of renegade retail stores.
The practice of giving out marijuana with the purchase of other products may not be legal, but hasn't been challenged yet.
Despite recent raids, pot gifting shops are flourishing in the Colorado Springs. At last check, we found more than two dozen in operation.
A business owner spoke with News 5 about his family's investment of nearly half a million dollars to start a legal medical marijuana business being heavily undercut by another shop giving away marijuana.
"Every media source, even the DEA and the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Agency... all these people have done nothing," he told News 5.
But in fact, local police are on the case. For the 5th time in as many weeks, shops were raided. Primo Smoke Shop in Colorado Springs, along with Toke-A-Lot and Vapor's Choice in Security. Authorities tell News 5 there will be raids t more shops.
..the latest pot gifting shops to get visits from swat teams in simultaneous raids...and news5 has learned there will be more.
"They're getting bad advice. These folks that use the word 'gifting' and say 'that's what my lawyer tells me.' I think they need to do some research on it," an undercover Narcotics/Vice officer told us.
For now, investigators say they're intentionally not making misdemeanor arrests, rather building bigger cases to hand over to the district attorney.
But it may be too little, too late for the legal medical marijuana business owner we spoke with. He says his business has dropped off 90%. "We're not going to stop until these people are run down because what they're doing is illegal."
Colorado State Representative Kit Roupe told News 5 he is frustrated.
Yet there's no shortage of customers who would rather do business without a medical card.
The mayor says its a tangled web of illegality. "The shop that's selling marijuana paraphanalia doesn't have a license to buy it from a distributor. So they must be getting it from the black market somehow... you can reasonably conclude that," said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers.
Suthers says he predicted Amendment 64, allowing marijuana use, would not drive out the black market.
"What I could not have predicted was not only would we not do that but that the cartels would come to Colorado, buy houses, grow massive amounts of marijuana, and export it out of state. I don't think any of us thought that would be the result," said Suthers.
The phrase for it on the street, "Suthers Black Market" doesn't sit well with the mayor. He asks, "Why? Why did I create the black market?"
He explains further that navigating the complexity of the laws, and the sheer number of operations takes time. "We're really strapped. We've got a lot of activity we gotta deal with."
Police tell News 5 they hope to turn their first case over to prosecutors in the next few weeks, with the intention of setting a precendent in the handling of other shops.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pot 'Gifting' Shops Versus Medical Marijuana
Author: Carlos Vergara
Contact: (719) 630-3930
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: KOAA 5
The practice of giving out marijuana with the purchase of other products may not be legal, but hasn't been challenged yet.
Despite recent raids, pot gifting shops are flourishing in the Colorado Springs. At last check, we found more than two dozen in operation.
A business owner spoke with News 5 about his family's investment of nearly half a million dollars to start a legal medical marijuana business being heavily undercut by another shop giving away marijuana.
"Every media source, even the DEA and the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Agency... all these people have done nothing," he told News 5.
But in fact, local police are on the case. For the 5th time in as many weeks, shops were raided. Primo Smoke Shop in Colorado Springs, along with Toke-A-Lot and Vapor's Choice in Security. Authorities tell News 5 there will be raids t more shops.
..the latest pot gifting shops to get visits from swat teams in simultaneous raids...and news5 has learned there will be more.
"They're getting bad advice. These folks that use the word 'gifting' and say 'that's what my lawyer tells me.' I think they need to do some research on it," an undercover Narcotics/Vice officer told us.
For now, investigators say they're intentionally not making misdemeanor arrests, rather building bigger cases to hand over to the district attorney.
But it may be too little, too late for the legal medical marijuana business owner we spoke with. He says his business has dropped off 90%. "We're not going to stop until these people are run down because what they're doing is illegal."
Colorado State Representative Kit Roupe told News 5 he is frustrated.
Yet there's no shortage of customers who would rather do business without a medical card.
The mayor says its a tangled web of illegality. "The shop that's selling marijuana paraphanalia doesn't have a license to buy it from a distributor. So they must be getting it from the black market somehow... you can reasonably conclude that," said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers.
Suthers says he predicted Amendment 64, allowing marijuana use, would not drive out the black market.
"What I could not have predicted was not only would we not do that but that the cartels would come to Colorado, buy houses, grow massive amounts of marijuana, and export it out of state. I don't think any of us thought that would be the result," said Suthers.
The phrase for it on the street, "Suthers Black Market" doesn't sit well with the mayor. He asks, "Why? Why did I create the black market?"
He explains further that navigating the complexity of the laws, and the sheer number of operations takes time. "We're really strapped. We've got a lot of activity we gotta deal with."
Police tell News 5 they hope to turn their first case over to prosecutors in the next few weeks, with the intention of setting a precendent in the handling of other shops.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pot 'Gifting' Shops Versus Medical Marijuana
Author: Carlos Vergara
Contact: (719) 630-3930
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: KOAA 5
