On late October, as part of a federal investigation into what was thought to be an illegal marijuana operation in Minnesota, thousands of pot plants were confiscated from many different properties in the Denver area. It is thought that the search and investigation involved not only federal law enforcement officers but also Denver police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents, as well as the Colorado attorney general’s office.
While no official details have yet been released about the ongoing criminal investigation, it is thought that large bags containing around $1 million in cash were also found. No arrests have yet been made, although those involved are thought to have moved from Minnesota, where recreational marijuana is still illegal, and moved to Colorado.
While on this occasion it has not yet been clarified as to whether the investigation is into medical or recreational marijuana, last November there was a major raid by federal authorities of between 10 and 20 marijuana sites in both Denver and Boulder, including dispensaries supplying medical marijuana. On that occasion authorities confiscated several plants of the drug as well as drinks and food which had been laced with cannabis.
In that particular case, the largest raid ever on the medical marijuana industry in the state, four men were charged with money laundering. As of now, no arrests have been made and it is unknown what the charges might be.
Advocates of legal marijuana in Colorado have expressed concern that the most recent round of raids may not portend well for the future of the state’s marijuana industry. The Obama administration has largely taken a “hands off” approach to the legal marijuana that is currently being sold in the states of Colorado and Washington.