Republican Colorado Springs Mayor, John Suthers, who has long been opposed to legal marijuana, met with federal representatives Wednesday regarding the legalization of cannabis in Colorado.
Several sources have confirmed that this meeting took place Wednesday between several federal agencies, the mayor of Colorado Springs, the chief of police for Colorado Springs, the DEA, and the resident agent with the DEA. Apparently some members of the public were invited to the meeting, including a local doctor and School District 11's student disciplinary director. According to the Denver Post and The Gazette Telegraph:
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 state’s pot industry, at a time when marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
Mayor John Suthers spoke with local station Channel 11 News later that day and confirmed there was a contingent from the Department of Justice White House Office of National Drug Control Policy that came to Colorado this week. 11 News followed up with this article:
CALL FOR ACTION INVESTIGATES: 'Secret' marijuana meeting in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - 11 News has confirmed that a meeting took place Wednesday between several federal agencies, the mayor of Colorado Springs, and chief of police for Colorado Springs over the topic of marijuana.
Mayor John Suthers spoke with 11 News following the meeting and stated there was a contingent from the Department of Justice White House Office of National Drug Control Policy that came to Colorado this week. Suthers confirmed the meeting was held with the Colorado Springs Police Department, the DEA, and the resident agent with the DEA.
"I think they're in Colorado to find out what law enforcement and other regulatory agencies' view is toward marijuana regulation in Colorado," Suthers said. "They're [local law enforcement] talking about what they're finding in houses, what they're finding and who is doing it, and where these people are coming from."
Mayor John Suthers gave KKTV a written statement earlier in the day when he first declined to talk on camera.
"The meetings are not open to the public because they include sensitive investigation information,” the statement from Suthers read.
When asked about the attention this particular meeting was receiving, the mayor asked if media outlets "stalked" the governor's office on Tuesday.
"So the other 15 meetings I had today were secret meetings also," Suthers said. "There's nothing about this that would require it to be public. The folks that came out didn't want it public; there's no reason for it to be public."
11 News confirmed some members of the public were invited to the meeting, including a local doctor and District 11's student disciplinary director.
Jason Warf, the executive director for the Southern Colorado Cannabis Council, sent out the following statement on the meeting:
"It has come to our attention that the the Mayor of Colorado Springs, John Suthers, met today with officials from several Federal agencies, in secret. This is extremely concerning for us as an organization, but more so for the cannabis businesses, as well as the patients and caregivers that we represent.
Since legalization in 2012, we have been a part of writing dozens of pieces of legislation. The design of most of these efforts was to regulate every aspect of the cannabis plant. If someone or a business is in conflict with current Colorado law, that is a matter that should be taken up in state court, not Federal court. Our state statutes are more than sufficient to prosecute individuals in conflict with the law, without Federal assistance. Until Federal law is updated to meet the standard of cannabis law in Colorado and the majority of the country, no Federal agent should be involved in enforcement action in these states.
During the 2017 session, our organization supported HB17-1313. This was legislation that passed that started the process of asset forfeiture reform. Because of this new law, it is now far more lucrative for a municipality to work with the Federal government on drug arrests, rather than prosecuting individuals under state law. Under Federal seizure laws, they receive a much larger percentage of assets seized. We have received word and believe that these meetings are about circumventing state law because of this revenue difference. This is unacceptable and can not move forward. This is direct conflict of the Constitutional Amendments passed by the voters of Colorado.
On behalf of our owners in Colorado Springs, as well as the thousands of patients that we work with, we ask that the content of the Mayor’s meeting be made public, immediately. We also ask that we be invited to any future meetings as a representative of the medical cannabis industry and the patients of Colorado Springs. We have worked with city officials since 2009 to enact sensible regulation. This undermines those efforts, the will of Colorado Springs voters, and it must end. Our organization will do everything in our power to uncover what is being discussed in these meetings, if the Mayor does not make public the content."
The mayor says the federal representatives didn't want the meeting to be open to the public.
"A lot of it was around sensitive case investigations; that's another reason why it couldn't be public," explained Suthers. "So without getting into that I would tell you that probably most of the discussion centered around the huge black market that exists for marijuana in Colorado."
Suthers said his stance on legal recreational marijuana remains the same.
"We should be very proud about our designation as a great American defense community," said Suthers. "To keep a military-friendly reputation with the DOD, I don't think embracing getting high for fun would be a good message.”
The Denver Post reports that the meeting was part of “an apparent statewide, closed-door tour of Federal Department of Justice and drug policy officials focusing on Colorado’s burgeoning legal marijuana industry.”
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 Hickenlooper’s staff, state marijuana regulators, the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Suthers said.
The Gazette Telegraph has more on this story for those interested. But it certainly bears watching. The Regressive Party continues its efforts to take us backwards…
Oh, by the way, on the same topic...Colorado passes a milestone for pot revenue...(Colorado has harvested half a billion dollars in taxes and fees since it legalized recreational weed.)