Indopedia All Things Marijuana
It’s no secret that there are glaring discrepancies between federal laws and state laws, and this extends to the legality of medical and recreational cannabis. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions seems to have made persecuting both marijuana users and businesses his mission statement, effectively blocking federal research and shrouding the legal pot market in ominous uncertainty. A recent ruling from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Colorado is threatening to place yet another obstacle in the path of the budding industry.
An investigative piece written by Amanda Chicago Lewis for Rolling Stone takes an in-depth look at the impact of this major legal precedent earlier this summer. After residents neighboring a cannabis farm filed a civil suit under a federal racketeering law, the court ultimately ruled that the “noxious odors” from the grow operation could be lowering property values and creating a nuisance.
There have been two lawsuits filed against cannabis farms that mention the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (more commonly known as RICO). The law has been utilized by Department of Justice since the ‘70s to help bring down…
