Law Enforcement

A coordinated law enforcement raid in Washington state last week brought down a large cannabis smuggling operation based out of 27 homes in Skyway, Renton, Kent, Maple Valley, SeaTac, and other Puget Sound communities.

The DEA is seeking a contractor capable of incinerating up to 8,000 pounds of cannabis and other federally prohibited substances per day.

California and federal law enforcement have cooperated to eradicate more than 1.1 million unregulated cannabis plants in the state over the last 13 weeks.

Recently released data from the FBI shows that U.S. police made 565,602 cannabis arrests in 2019 — an 18% decrease from 2018.

Judge Samuel Junkin in Pickens County, Alabama has denied a motion to release disabled Iraq war veteran Sean Worsely from jail for cannabis possession, despite a community supervision agreement for Worsely that included an employment offer and stable, local housing options.

Officials in Rock County, Wisconsin have reduced the fine for cannabis possession to just one dollar; the fines previously ran from $150 to $500 depending on the offense.

A former NYPD officer is suing the department after being forced into early retirement due to his status as a registered medical cannabis patient. The lawsuit alleges extreme instances of workplace harassment, disability discrimination, and retaliation.

King County, Washington is considering shifting its cannabis-derived funds from the Sheriff’s Office to instead pay for community programs and to help individuals vacate cannabis-related convictions.

Eight Canadian cannabis brands sent a joint letter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police requesting law enforcement action against Weedmaps, who they say is hindering the legal industry by listing unlicensed dispensaries.

The Virginia Senate advanced a measure last week that blocks police from searching vehicles during traffic stops based on cannabis odor alone.

A judge in Laramie County, Wyoming last week threw out drug trafficking charges against hemp growers who were accused by prosecutors of growing cannabis with plans to distribute.

Police data from Albany, New York shows that 97 percent of cannabis arrests and tickets targeted Black people — mostly young men — despite Black people representing just under 30 percent of the city’s population.

Due to a recent ruling, the smell of cannabis alone will no longer be grounds for arrest in Maryland. The ruling does not prevent officers from searching a vehicle based on the smell of cannabis, however.

Federal investigators with the FBI and DEA have partnered with Maine State Police to investigate two companies operating in the cannabis space.

The ACLU has uncovered data showing that Latinx people in Maricopa County, Arizona receive on average harsher punishments for simple cannabis possession than Black or white people.

California officials have started issuing tax warrants against unlicensed cannabis retailers throughout Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

After years of encountering garbage and chemicals at unlicensed cannabis cultivation sites, the United States Forest Service has entered a contract with NES Hazmat as part of its cannabis eradication program.

California cannabis operators have accused Border Patrol agents of confiscating cash and legal cannabis products at certain border checkpoints throughout the state.

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility Director and Chief Counsel Jeffrey Ragsdale issued a memo defending the agency’s cannabis investigations by the Antitrust Division, which a whistleblower said were akin to industry “harassment.”

A Justice Department whistleblower is testifying today that AG William Barr’s personal distaste for legalized cannabis has led to nearly one-third of the agency’s Antitrust Division merger investigations.

Portland, Oregon officials are redirecting $12 million from the police department toward helping communities of color; at least $2 million of the funds are derived from local cannabis taxes and fees.

Louisville, Kentucky city officials have permanently banned the use of no-knock police raids. The ordinance is called “Breonna’s Law,” named after 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police in her home during a no-knock narcotics raid.

“Cops,” the long-running reality TV show that glorified U.S. police and reinforced criminal stigmas, has been canceled indefinitely amid growing calls for police reform and heightened accountability.

Congressional Democrats have put forward legislation aimed at addressing systemic racial discrimination by police that includes a ban on no-knock warrants for drug-related crimes.