The Supreme Court of the United States is scheduled to discuss a pending lawsuit against Colorado’s marijuana legalization law on Friday. The lawsuit was filed in late 2014, and argues that legal cannabis from Colorado has led to an uptick in marijuana-related crimes in the plaintiff states, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
The justices will decide on Friday whether or not they will take up the case, Tom Angell reports for Marijuana.com.
The Obama Administration urged in December that the justices dismiss the case, saying that because the state of Colorado is not actually allowing, encouraging, or endorsing these third party lawbreakers, it cannot be held accountable for their actions.
If the court agrees to hear the case, it would likely lead to a years-long investigation. Since the lawsuit was filed directly at the Supreme Court, the process would start with a trial court hearing to establish evidence and a factual record regarding the lawsuit. If the court were to ultimately side with the plaintiffs, Colorado’s cannabis industry would be held accountable for drug trafficking and likely disassembled.
The case needs the support of four justices to move forward, though with the recent passing of notoriously conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, many consider this outcome to be less likely than before.
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