A Washington, D.C.-based group opposed to the legalization of marijuana has announced plans to sue the state of Colorado in federal court, in the hopes of closing the state’s pot stores.
UPDATE: Get details on the lawsuits filed in federal court on Thursday.
The Safe Streets Alliance, which touts itself as “a non-profit national organization founded over two decades ago to reduce violent crime in America,” plans to announce the lawsuit on Thursday in a news conference on the Colorado Capitol’s east steps. According to information posted on the group’s website, the lawsuit will name both Colorado officials and “several prominent participants” of the marijuana industry.
The lawsuit will apparently argue that Colorado’s system for regulating marijuana stores violates both the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and federal anti-racketeering laws. Reached by phone, an attorney for Safe Streets refused to provide further details on the pot lawsuit, including the names of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs.
Colorado is already defending its legalization laws from a lawsuit filed by two neighboring states. The state attorney general’s office has yet to respond to that suit but has indicated the suit lacks merit.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068, jingold@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johningold
