Eric Holder

Marijuana advocate: Each day feds are silent about Amendment 64 is a good one

It's been over six months since voters approved Amendment 64, which allows adults 21 and over in Colorado to use and possess small amounts of marijuana, and the Obama administration still hasn't weighed in on the measure. Last week, we speculated that the delays would continue thanks to current sca ... More >>

James Dobson, Focus on the Family founder, claims IRS discrimination

Yesterday in this space, we noted that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder may not have time to weigh in on Colorado marijuana laws because of two mushrooming scandals -- one of them involving reports that the Internal Revenue Service placed extra scrutiny on Tea Party groups seeking nonprofit status. ... More >>

Marijuana decision from feds unlikely in near future due to reporter spying, Tea Party scandals

During a conference call shortly after the November 2012 passage of Amendment 64, Governor John Hickenlooper and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers encouraged U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to make announcing the federal government's response to the bill a priority. Then, in March, Holder sai ... More >>

Marijuana: Jared Polis signs on to latest bill asking feds to respect state pot laws

Despite ramped-up pressure from national media outlets, the federal government still has not offered a response to the December 10 signing of Amendment 64, which allows adults 21 and over in Colorado to use and possess small amounts of marijuana. Into this vacuum have stepped a number of legislator ... More >>

Marijuana: National media ramps up pressure on feds to make Amendment 64 decision

It's now been approximately five months since voters approved Amendment 64, which allows adults 21 and over in Colorado to use and possess small amounts of marijuana. Moreover, almost four months have passed since John Hickenlooper signed it into law, and four weeks-plus since U.S. Attorney General ... More >>

Marijuana poll: Majority of Americans support legalization, oppose federal interference

It's been nearly a month since Attorney General Eric Holder said a decision about a federal response to Amendment 64, which allows adults 21 and over in Colorado to use and possess small amounts of marijuana, would be coming soon. And the longer he waits, the harder it may be to sell a full-bore cra ... More >>

Marijuana and gay marriage: New study explores their legal link

Same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization aren't natural bedfellows, as it were. But do the topics have more in common than seems obvious at first blush? Jonathan Rauch thinks so. In a new Brookings Institution study on view below in its entirety, he maintains that just as states have the right t ... More >>

Marijuana: Save Our Society from Drugs attacks Amendment 64 task force recommendations

Last week, the Amendment 64 task force released a massive, 166-page report filled with recommendations about how best to implement the measure, which allows adults 21 and over in Colorado to use and possess small amounts of marijuana. How does Calvina Fay, executive director of Save Our Society Fro ... More >>

Marijuana: Copenhagen to import pot from Colorado?

Earlier this month, eight former DEA administrators wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder encouraging him to crack down on new marijuana laws in Colorado and Washington, in part because they see the measures as violating international treaties regarding drugs. Officials in at least on ... More >>

Marijuana: Eric Holder says fed response to Colorado law coming soon

Yesterday, eight former DEA administrators sent a letter to ranking members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (see it below), encouraging them to quiz U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder about why the Justice Department hasn't cracked down on Colorado and Washington state over their recently passed ma ... More >>

Marijuana: United Nations board says Colorado pot law violates international treaties

As we reported earlier today, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder didn't choose his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee to share the Justice Department response to marijuana laws in Colorado that contradict federal policy. The measures contradict international treaties, too, as a new rep ... More >>

Marijuana laws in Colorado, Washington should be nullified, say ex-DEA administrators

Tomorrow, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee -- and eight ex-heads of the Drug Enforcement Administration suggest that members ask him why the hell he hasn't brought the hammer down on Colorado and Washington state for their respective pot laws. That ... More >>

Marijuana: John Hickenlooper-Eric Holder A64 call still a mystery despite activist's efforts

Editor's note: Medical marijuana critic William Breathes's latest review, which is usually published at 4:20 p.m. on Thursdays, has not quite finished curing; look for it in this space soon. In the meantime, we share the story of a marijuana activist and his efforts to discover what was said during ... More >>

Amendment 64 task force first meeting today: Welcome to the mild, wild West

A week after John Hickenlooper signed Amendment 64 into law, and four days after President Barack Obama said that the feds have bigger fish to fry than prosecuting recreational users of pot in states that have made it legal, Colorado's Task Force on the Implementation of Amendment 64 will have its f ... More >>

Marijuana activist objects to Amendment 64 task force member calling for fed crackdown

As we've reported, the first meeting of the Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force is slated for noon today. But even before that initial session, a marijuana activist is protesting the inclusion of one task force member, Colorado Concern's Tamra Ward. Why? Because her signature is the first on lett ... More >>

Amendment 64: Warnings from U.S. Attorney, State Patrol, CU boss as measure becomes law

Yesterday, Governor John Hickenlooper quietly signed Amendment 64. But the reaction from major players who oppose the new pot law has been considerably louder. U.S. Attorney John Walsh and the Colorado State Patrol both issued terse warnings calculated to harsh the buzzes of celebrants. And a prior ... More >>

Amendment 64: Business organizations ask feds to clamp down on Colorado marijuana measure

In the wake of the Amendment 64's passage, Democratic and Republican officials have proposed a bill that would exempt Colorado from federal laws prohibiting marijuana use. Now, a coalition of business organizations opposed to A64 are urging the feds to do the opposite: enforce federal law, even if i ... More >>

Amendment 64: John Hickenlooper setting up broad task force regarding marijuana measure

Later today, representatives of Colorado NORML will meet with governor's office staffers about Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act. As NORML's Sean McAllister told us yesterday, they'll stress the need for cannabis consumers to have a seat at the table -- and a statement about a pr ... More >>

Marijuana: MMJ dispensaries seeing flood of people looking for legal ganja

Although Amendment 64 passed last week, Governor John Hickenlooper has told us not to bring out the Cheetos and Goldfish just yet. But apparently people need a firmer reminder that there are more hurdles to be surmounted -- and we're not just talking about the feds -- before pot shops can open in Co ... More >>

Amendment 64 pushes need for pot banks: Could tribal nations be the solution?

While Governor John Hickenlooper had a conference call with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to talk about the federal response to the passage Amendment 64, and Mason Tvert, the architect of that victory, was chatting with Bill Maher, hundreds of people gathered in Denver for the National Marijuana ... More >>

Marijuana: John Hickenlooper stresses urgency in Amendment 64 call to Eric Holder

After the passage of Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, Governor John Hickenlooper released a statement advising folks who voted for the proposal to wait before they break out the Cheetos and Goldfish. But he recognizes that the question of federal intervention over the measure i ... More >>

Amendment 64: Feds will threaten lawsuit or arrests to stop implementation, predicts DU prof

Colorado's voters may have approved Amendment 64, but the federal government is unlikely to allow implementation of the marijuana measure and will probably threaten to sue or begin making arrests to stop it. That's the prediction of Sam Kamin, a University of Denver professor and national expert on ... More >>

The truth about America's biggest criminals

Marijuana: Why ex-drug warriors hate Amendment 64, other drug initiatives

Former drug czars, DEA administrators and national "addiction experts" have come out in opposition to Colorado's Amendment 64, as well as similar measures before voters in Washington and Oregon. In other wildly-unexpected news: The sky is, indeed, blue.

Marijuana activist says Obama campaign using "Harold and Kumar" clip to hide bad policies

Update below: Kal Penn and John Cho, the stars of the Harold and Kumar movies, have been to Colorado multiple times in recent weeks to stump for the Obama campaign, and both appear with the president in a video about Penn hosting Democratic National Convention coverage this week; see it below. Howev ... More >>

Marijuana legalization efforts undermined by immigration ruling?

The Supreme Court's heath care ruling has made such a splash that it's easy to forget SCOTUS also weighed in on Arizona's controversial immigration law this week. What's the latter got to do with Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act? Plenty, say opponents, who see the opinion as doo ... More >>

Najibullah Zazi's classmate and alleged co-conspirator goes on trial today

Terrorism hit close to home in September 2009, when Aurora resident Najibullah Zazi, an airport shuttle driver, was indicted for being part of a conspiracy to bomb the subways of New York -- with homemade bombs concocted from ingredients he'd purchased at local beauty supply stores. In February 2010 ... More >>

Underwear Bomber moves into Supermax cell

This past week, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, dubbed the "Underwear Bomber" after a failed attempt to bring down an airliner in December 2009, joined the ranks of Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber), Terry Nichols (who conspired with Timothy McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing) and others as one of the most ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Could dispensaries be allowed to share same block in Denver?

​After U.S. Attorney John Walsh sent closure threats to 23 medical marijuana dispensaries near schools (and vowed that he wasn't bluffing about the shut-down warnings), observers began to fear that MMCs would have few places to move in Denver due in part to rules that centers be at least 1,000 ... More >>

Marijuana at the Crossroads: Event asks if MMJ lawyers are breaking oath

According to keynote speaker and DU prof Sam Kamin, "Marijuana at the Crossroads," a Sturm College of Law symposium that starts tomorrow (see the schedule below), aims to get beyond the usual pot palaver. Sample subject: Are attorneys breaking their professional oath simply by specializing in medic ... More >>

Medical Marijuana Day of Action includes rally at health department

U.S. Attorney John Walsh's seizure letters to 23 dispensaries near schools -- and his promise that he's not bluffing -- has led to protests from national organizations like Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). Now, local groups are staging a Medical Marijuana Day of Action, which includes a l ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Law enforcement group rips dispensary seizure letters

John Walsh.​U.S. Attorney John Walsh says he's not bluffing when it comes to seizure letters sent to 23 medical marijuana dispensaries near schools. And Neill Franklin, executive director of Massachusetts-based Law Enforcement Against Prohibition fears he's in earnest. That's why he's co-auth ... More >>

Marijuana: U.S. Attorney "not bluffing" about seizing dispensaries near schools

Attorney Rob Corry unwittingly provided U.S. Attorney John Walsh with a make-my-day moment. Corry recently told 9News that seizure letters sent to 23 dispensaries near schools were a "colossal bluff." During a round of media interviews, Walsh begged to differ. "We are not bluffing," he says. "We sen ... More >>

Pot shop seizure letters decried by National Cannabis Industry Association

​Last week, U.S. Attorney John Walsh sent letters to 23 medical marijuana dispensaries within 1,000 feet of schools, threatening seizure if they don't close by next month -- an act that caused centers to scramble for scarce new locations and made some owners consider shutting down for good. Ag ... More >>

Medical marijuana: 23 dispensaries targeted by U.S. Attorney only "first wave"

John Walsh.​Update: U.S. Attorney John Walsh's letter to 23 medical marijuana dispensaries within 1,000 feet of schools, which threatens seizure and forfeiture if they don't stop operating within 45 days, is a blow to the state's MMJ industry. And spokesman Jeff Dorschner stresses that it won' ... More >>

Med. marijuana: Eric Holder okay with lawful MMCs, but do threats remain?

Video below.​This week, Congressman Jared Polis quizzed U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder about the Department of Justice's approach to medical marijuana; see a video of the exchange below. For the most part, Holder suggested that MMJ businesses following state law are not Department of Justic ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Could the Justice Department arrest state MMJ employees?

Eric Holder.​Ever since U.S. Attorney John Walsh sent a letter suggesting that parts of HB 1043, the medical marijuana cleanup bill, would likely violate U.S. law, the local MMJ community has feared a federal crackdown on the industry -- and perhaps even on state employees regulating it. Do co ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: Help Tiffany Hartley, whose husband David was murdered in Mexico

Hickenlooper.​Governor John Hickenlooper is apparently not convinced a Judicial Watch investigation will be sufficient to solve the murder in Mexico of David Hartley. So he, along with senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet and Representative Cory Gardner, signed letters sent to the department ... More >>

Cyber Monday ripoffs: See 7 Colorado website domains seized for selling counterfeit goods

​Overwhelmed by the number of sites offering Cyber Monday deals? Well, now there are 82 of them, including seven in Colorado, you don't need to visit -- because their domains have been seized for allegedly selling counterfeit or copyrighted goods. See the list and get more info from the Justic ... More >>

Jeffrey Sweetin, controversial DEA special agent, gets promoted: Sorry, haters

Jeffrey Sweetin.​Jeffrey Sweetin, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Denver field office, has been a controversial figure in these parts, with medical marijuana attorney Rob Corry suggesting he'd gone rogue and Congressman Jared Polis citing him in a letter about ... More >>

Ken Salazar finds oil spilling from Gulf into Colorado

​The Deepwater Horizon disaster keeps spilling into my inbox, more than 1,300 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, where there's "oil for miles and miles," Attorney General Eric Holder lamented yesterday in New Orleans. Denver is more than 1,300 miles from the Big Easy, but the disaster has spilled ... More >>

Medical marijuana timeline: What a long, strange trip it's been

​With dispensaries on every street corner, legislators having rolled out the first regulatory system for statewide marijuana distribution in the country and activists seriously considering an initiative to legalize pot this November, it might seem like Colorado has always been a marijuana Mecc ... More >>

Jared Polis to Timothy Geithner: Don't let banks discriminate against medical marijuana industry

Jared Polis doesn't want the feds to obstruct MMJ businesses.​Representative Jared Polis has spent a lot of his legislative capital of late defending the medical marijuana industry in Colorado from possible interference by the federal government. In February, for example, he sent a letter to ... More >>

Jared Polis questions attorney general Eric Holder about Jeff Sweetin, medical marijuana

When Congressman Jared Polis got his chance to quiz Attorney General Eric Holder during his first appearance on the U.S. House judiciary committee yesterday, he hit on two topics of particular interest to his Boulder area constituency -- medical marijuana and immigration. He began by noting his Feb ... More >>

Medical marijuana raid in Highlands Ranch: Chris Bartkowicz attorney Joseph Saint-Veltri on conflicts between federal, state marijuana law

Chris Bartkowicz, as seen in the 9News story that brought him to the DEA's attention.​Many of the attorneys who specialize in medical marijuana issues in Colorado speak, including Rob Corry, Lauren Davis and Brian Vicente, speak openly about cases while they're in progress. Joseph Saint-Veltr ... More >>

Stephanie Villafuerte removes herself from U.S. Attorney sweepstakes

Stephanie Villafuerte will not be the next U.S. Attorney for Colorado.​On Friday, when Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions asked that consideration of Stephanie Villafuerte's nomination as U.S. Attorney be delayed because her record is "incomplete," I wrote that the story was developing at "lightnin ... More >>

Read Mike Coffman's letter asking for a Justice Department investigation of Stephanie Villafuerte

Mike Coffman joins the GOP dogpile on Stephanie Villafuerte.​The surfacing of an internal Denver DA's office memo attacking KHOW's Peter Boyles and the Denver Post isn't the only fresh development in the matter of Stephanie Villafuerte's nomination as U.S. Attorney. On Wednesday, Representati ... More >>

Your guide to recognizing terrorism: John Elway

An explosively formed penetrator. Not a marital aid.​ Today, the hoi polloi of American law enforcement -- Attorney General Eric Holder, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske and ... More >>

Attorney General Eric Holder: Aurora a central front in war on terror

Eric Holder.​Most of Attorney General Eric Holder's prepared remarks to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference today are of the attaboy variety: At one point, he says, "I have come to Denver today with one simple message from Washington: 'We got your back.'" But t ... More >>

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