Crime

Russian oligarch Andrey Muraviev was charged this week by U.S. officials with making illegal political contributions to curry favor with candidates who could help him acquire cannabis industry licenses.

A Washington bill that passed the state Senate unanimously last week would increase penalties for robbing licensed cannabis retailers.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signaled that he supports the push to reform the state’s medical cannabis laws and crack down on illegal operations.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife destroyed 2.6 million pounds of illegally cultivated cannabis plants and 487,270 pounds of flower during 2021.

Felony charges of theft and commercial bribery related to hemp licenses were brought against Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s top political consultant Todd Smith.

Typically stocked with large quantities of both cash and cannabis, dispensaries have become a prime target amid a growing trend of smash-and-grab retail robberies.

David Wayne Jenkins, owner of now-defunct Castle Management, is facing 33 counts of grand theft of labor for failing to pay employees.

John “JT” Burnette, the husband of Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, was sentenced to three years in federal prison and fined $1.25 million on public corruption charges.

Federal authorities are accusing several sheriff’s deputies and a prosecutor in Maine of aiding an illegal cannabis operation.

Washington cannabis regulators issued the emergency license suspension of Okanagan-based Emerald Flash over allegations of cannabis product diversion, misrepresentation, and other concerns.

The founder of California cannabis dispensary Natural Healing Center is facing a maximum prison sentence of 13 years after pleading guilty to bribery and filing a false tax return.

The San Bernardino, California Sheriff’s Department has seized more than 60,000 cannabis plants, 9,000 pounds of processed cannabis, and destroyed 319 greenhouses over the last two weeks as part of “Operation Hammer Strike.”

The owner of a Massachusetts cannabis delivery company was sentenced in federal court to four years in prison for tax evasion, money laundering, and cannabis distribution and possession.

A Singaporean man is set to be hanged for importing 1 kilogram of cannabis from Malaysia into Singapore in 2018.

Custom and border officials have seized nearly 15,000 pounds of cannabis at the Canada-U.S. Michigan border this year.

A California jury has awarded $5 million in damages in what is believed to be the first cannabis industry antitrust case in the nation, according to a National Law Review report.

The former CEO for Shryne Group, the California multi-state cannabis operator behind the popular STIIIZY brand, was charged with multiple fraud felonies in connection with his time at a different company.

Jasiel Correia, the former mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, was handed a six-year prison sentence this week for extorting cannabis companies while in office.

Two people were indicted by the Department of Justice last week for their involvement in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme involving fake cattle trades and a Colorado cannabis business.

Jasiel Correia, the former mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, was convicted on Friday of extorting cannabis businesses and other crimes.

Two former city officials for Calexico, California were sentenced to two years in federal prison for accepting bribes related to cannabis licensing.

A political consultant working for the agriculture commissioner of Texas has been arrested for his role in an alleged pay-to-play hemp licensing scheme.

A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a 2018 cannabis warehouse robbery that resulted in the theft of nearly $650,000 in cash and over 1,000 pounds of cannabis.

Dr. Jason Pirozzolo — a Florida hand surgeon and founder of The American Medical Marijuana Physician Association — has been linked to an ongoing federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations against Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R).