Cannabis Blog

Federal Government Intimidates Landlords to Destroy Medical Marijuana Industry

Category: Dispensaries | Posted on Fri, June, 15th 2012 by THCFinder

If you have followed the progress of the federal medical marijuana crackdown began in earnest last

fall, you know that while there have been armed raids of some dispensaries, the majority of closures

have come from federal intimidation of landlords. The owner of a building housing a medical marijuana

operation will invariably receive a letter from the U.S. Justice Department, telling them of all the awful

consequences they face if they do not shut the business down.

Facing the possible loss of their property under federal asset forfeiture laws, many landlords have

capitulated and closed the dispensary down.

"Filing asset-forfeiture lawsuits against these commercial properties is a very clever way to handle an

otherwise horribly difficult and controversial situation," said Greg Baldwin, a partner at the Miami law

firm Holland & Knight and a former federal prosecutor.

"If you bring criminal charges against these medical marijuana businesses, the federal government gets

pilloried in the press for attacking California law and sick people," Baldwin continued.

How clever of the government to attack sick people while trying to seem like they are not. But is their

subterfuge working? Recent polls show nearly 75% of respondents saying they oppose the federal

medical marijuana crackdown. It’s a very simple thing for people to see; decimating the suppliers of

medicine hurts those who need the medicine.

If the government was cracking down on Walgreens and CVS, the AARP would be up in arms and federal

policy would be quickly amended. Oftentimes it helps to have a rich and powerful lobby behind you.

"It's being done softly,” said Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of NORML, “because if they tried to go

the harsh criminal route there is a very good chance they would not only fail but become even more

unpopular, something you tend to not want to do going into your last election."

But it’s already unpopular. We just have to make sure those in power know just how unpopular it is.

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