20 people in Colorado face federal pot trafficking charges

abc 7 ^ | September 4, 2015

[george76]

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver said Thursday 17 of the people charged have been arrested and three remain at-large.

Authorities say warrants conducted in the southern Colorado towns of Cotopaxi and Westcliffe led to the seizure of 1,000 marijuana plants, 50 pounds of dried marijuana, and 28 firearms. Sheriff offices in Custer and Freemont counties helped execute the warrants Tuesday.

[SunLakesJeff]

If Walmart is randomly drug testing employees without cause, then they are idiots.

So says the gentleman/lady who is not party to the victim of a negligent accident, courtesy of someone on the job.

[Smokin' Joe]

Now, if they want to drug test a current employee as a condition of continued employment if they suspect that the employee IS HIGH AT WORK, then it might be reasonable, but otherwise, it is none of their business if an employee likes to spark up off duty, especially in a state where it is legal.

Because retention of metabolites and active ingredients in marijuana lasts so long, how will you determine in a non-subjective (quantifiable, repeatable) way what levels constitute intoxication?

Keep in mind the alcohol analogy. I have seen drunks with a B.A.C. well in excess of .20 who seemed 'a little off' but were clinically determined to be fully loaded.

There are hardcore users who give the appearance of being conversant and functional, but upon closer examination and testing prove otherwise.

Will the claim be made that some can 'handle their weed' better than others?

I see fertile ground for lawyers to sprout, but the issue should be resolved.

I also think, every employer should be allowed to retain the right, agreed to upon upon hiring, to have an employee tested in the event that employee is involved in an accident (and the employee should have the option to send a sample to another lab if they so desire).

Otherwise, as an employer, why would you want the liability exposure?

One last thought: Just because something is legal, that does not necessarily mean it will be universally regarded as desirable, or for that matter, right.

[gunnut]

So let me get this right. Selling pot is against federal law but legal under Colorado law. The Feds only enforce the federal law if you decide to sell outside the state.

Can a judge hold the officials in contempt for not upholding the law? Will they?

[barmag25]

Something tells me they will be found "not guilty"

[Wolfie]

I remember an interview with a large worldwide American company where they asked an HR executive why they only drug tested American employees. Her response was that only the Americans would put up with it. Land of the Free, indeed.

[Smokin' Joe]

I remember an interview with a large worldwide American company where they asked an HR executive why they only drug tested American employees. Her response was that only the Americans would put up with it. Land of the Free, indeed.

I objected to such testing as invasive and unnecessary when it first started. I am not a drug user--I don't even drink.

However, I work in the oil industry, and I have to note that serious and fatal accidents dropped off significantly after such testing started, along with increased safety awareness, lockout/tagout procedures, and a host of other programs designed to improve safety.

I think the original intent was to mollify insurance companies, but the bottom line was that the industry became more professional, fewer people got hurt or killed, and drilling costs dropped as a result of all that. That's just on drilling rigs.

You can still work at a number of jobs that don't drug test employees, but they simply don't pay as well.

[djf]

What the heck is the deal with 420?

[george76]

Banks with a federal charter, lawyers , insurance companies, commercial property owners, etc. all risk losing their charter, real estate, etc. if they knowingly violate federal laws.

[george76]

Steamboat Springs — Two men suspected of growing nearly 1,000 marijuana plants in the Routt National Forest remained in federal custody Friday.

http://t.steamboattoday.com/news/2015/sep/04/suspected-forest-marijuana-growers-remain-custody/

[clee1]

Most employers will quickly abandon the drug-free workplace crap, and only go after people that exhibit impairment on the job.

The costs are staggering, and only stop a small percentage of new hires and random-screening drug users.

[george76]

April 20th has become a counterculture holiday , where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis. Some events have a political nature to them .

Signs bearing the number “420” have been frequently stolen. In Colorado, the Colorado Department of Transportation replaced the Mile Marker 420 sign on I-70 east of Denver with one reading 419.99 in an attempt to stop the thievery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)

[Lx]

It’s Hitler’s birthday.

[DannyTN]

What I’d like to see is real people with the real consequences of drugs. Show how drugs ruins lives.
I thought the Carrol O’Connor ads were great.
The Meth makeover before and after pictures billboards are great.

[ConservingFreedom]

Ever been on one of these proselytizing pot threads?

I've never seen a proselytizing pot thread - have a link?

[ConservingFreedom]

Can a judge hold the officials in contempt for not upholding the law?

I know of no precedent nor statutory basis for such a holding.

[djf]

Oh. Thanks!

[fr_freak]

Because retention of metabolites and active ingredients in marijuana lasts so long, how will you determine in a non-subjective (quantifiable, repeatable) way what levels constitute intoxication?

Keep in mind the alcohol analogy. I have seen drunks with a B.A.C. well in excess of .20 who seemed 'a little off' but were clinically determined to be fully loaded.

That is precisely why ongoing drug testing for marijuana is a pointless intrusion into an employee's private life. A positive result could be because the guy smoked a joint 3 weeks ago and not since. A place like Walmart has no legitimate reason to be concerned about an employee who got high 3 weeks ago as long as it was not during work hours. As far as I know, only Americans are sheep-like enough to allow themselves to be treated this way, as if an employer owns us like slaves or cattle. No other country that I know of does this.

The alcohol comment actually is an argument AGAINST this hyper-paranoid drug testing binge that Americans are on, because no company that justifies drug testing for marijuana could justify NOT checking for signs of alcohol abuse. So why not breathalyze every employee as they clock in? I'll tell you why - because they never made a movie called "Booze Madness" that showed drunk people raping and pillaging in a schizophrenic rage, that's why.

[laplata]

Thanks, george76.

Those muchachos did a lot of work for nothing but they don’t care because they’ll get fed and housed.

[Seruzawa]

Oh, I’m no drug warrior. I believe that all drugs should be decriminalized. I just don’t pretend that pot is any less of a scourge than the rest of them. Smoke your brains out, Dude!

[TigersEye]

That is quite a deflection from the point I made.