Colorado Law regulates our medical marijuana industry. Forty-eight businesses that were legal under Colorado's Medical Marijuana Law, were taxed under Colorado Medical Marijuana Law, and paid more $400,000 in licensing fees as they were winding their way through Colorado's regulatory schema were bullied into closing by US Attorney Walsh.
Now, more threatening letters are on the way and US Attorney Walsh is looking for narcs.
I'm trying to understand what the hell US Attorney John Walsh, Attorney General Holder and President Obama are doing. Is this the best use of limited Federal resources? Closing 48 businesses that were providing jobs, licensing fees and tax revenue in a regulated environment. You just cost the state of Colorado $400,000 a year in licensing fees. The employees were probably making a $1,000,000 a year in wages. Their Optional Premise Grow Operations probably cost $250,000 each to build, so building their OPCs pumped another $12,000,000 through the Colorado economy. Electricians, metal workers, HVAC specialists, and every other trades person needed to expand and maintain these facilities just got screwed. Are you going to be sending out apology letters. You're wrecking lives here. Do you care?
This whole situation is a bad joke. We get threatening letters and cannot keep a bank account meanwhile the banks get a pass. Everything that has happened in Colorado happened after the Ogden Memo. I'm in this business because of the Ogden Memo. I passed two background checks to get this my job and US Attorney Walsh might take it away with a letter. I have my job because I spent 44 years obeying the law and my background checks proved it to the State of Colorado and the City of Boulder.
I am really disappointed this is happening. I trusted President Obama and this is happening on his watch and when he is asked directly about it, he equivocates.
Eastern Colorado, Eastern Wyoming, and Western Nebraska are being taken over by meth. Is the US Attorney and DEA active in the rural wasteland that is being created by meth. I doubt it, they're more interested in turning Coloradans against one another and chasing low hanging fruit. At least Representative Polis is trying to get answers.
Polis Grills Holder
If your think this is horseshit. Please drop US Attorney Walsh a note at usaco.jwalsh@usdoj.gov
I'm afraid to, he might target my boss's business.
UPDATE
Looks like some California representatives are trying to get the US Attornies and DEA to back off too.