A Colorado woman was arrested by the Boulder County Drug Task Force this month after she was caught selling marijuana to a confidential police informant. The woman, who had owned a Colorado medical marijuana dispensary, unfortunately chose the wrong method of liquidating her excess inventory.
The woman initially sold two pounds of marijuana to the informant. Then she arranged to sell the informant another 10 pounds. During the transaction, the woman admitted to significant illegal behaviors. For example, when the informant mentioned that he intended to take the drugs to Missouri, the woman detailed her experiences transporting drugs across state lines. The woman now faces six felony charges related to her arrest.
Colorado Marijuana Violations Carry Severe Penalties
Because Colorado allows the use of marijuana for medical purposes, many residents assume police will be lax in enforcing the state’s marijuana laws. This is not true.
Violations of Colorado marijuana law can come with severe penalties. Although it is true that the possession of two ounces of marijuana or less is treated as a petty offense, people caught using or displaying any amount of marijuana in public can be sentenced to jail time. Get caught with more than a half-pound and you could find yourself facing felony charges and several years in state prison.
Stiffer penalties exist for marijuana cultivation or sale crimes. The sale or cultivation of any amount of non-medical marijuana is a felony punishable by prison time. If the sale occurs within 1,000 feet of a school or public housing development, the minimum prison term automatically increases.
Do not take risks with your future by falling into the mistaken assumption that you cannot get in trouble for possessing or selling marijuana.
Source: The Daily Camera, “Veronica Carpio, Ex-Lafayette Dispensary Owner, Facing Marijuana Distribution Charges,” Mitchell Byars, Nov. 2, 2011.