Letter Rightly Threatens Enforcement of Federal Controlled Substances Act, Penalties for Illicit Drug Sales in a School Zones to Both Pot Profiteers and Property Owners Where Businesses Are Operating
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, issued the following statement today applauding the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for investigating Green Theory, a D.C. dispensary selling federally-illegal drugs within 1000 feet of four schools and a childcare facility, and urging other U.S. Attorneys across the nation to investigate similar claims:
“Pot profiteers know no shame. The addiction industry continues to show it will stop at nothing to hook a new generation of users on dangerous, psychoactive THC drugs and marijuana. The complaints against Green Theory are only the tip of the iceberg. We’ve heard from countless parents across the nation who have grave concerns about pot shops in their communities. It’s indisputable that these stores are selling federally illegal drugs. Yet time and again, drug-pushing politicians, many of whom have taken money from the pot industry and its lobbyists, disregard parents’ genuine concerns and fears simply to score a quick buck.
“It’s especially encouraging to see that U.S. Attorney Martin is raising the threat of prosecution for those who are willingly and knowingly providing space for the pot profiteers to peddle their dangerous, illicit drugs. The Department of Justice has a responsibility to hold those breaking federal law accountable for their actions. It’s clear that any property owner who is making a profit by leasing space to a pot shop is violating the law and their actions should not go unpunished.
“Big Marijuana is spending billions of dollars on PR campaigns that tell people, especially kids and young adults, that drugs are safe and even recreational. Despite these claims, medical and scientific data continues to show state-level drug legalization efforts are claiming lives and creating a new generation of Americans suffering from substance abuse disorders. Federal laws criminalizing the sale of THC drugs and marijuana in school zones have been on the books for decades. Attorney General Pam Bondi knows the dangers these drugs pose to our nation and its young people, and she should instruct other U.S. Attorneys to pursue similar enforcement actions.”
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