Group plans to sue Colorado over marijuana legalization

A woman rolls a marijuana cigarette. — (Image credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

An organization opposed to the legalization of marijuana in Colorado is expected to file a federal lawsuit Thursday, alleging that officials in Colorado are violating federal law.

The Washington, D.C.-based Safe Streets Alliance said in an online statement that it "is asking the federal courts to order Colorado officials to comply with federal law and stop issuing state licenses to deal illegal drugs." Reuters reports that the group is calling "for testimony from individuals who feel that they, their relatives, properties, or businesses have been hurt by the marijuana industry," and said that "federal racketeering laws give plaintiffs injured by a commercial drug conspiracy the right to an injunction, treble damages, and attorney's fees."

The idea of the lawsuit doesn't sit well with supporters of the law, which was approved by Colorado voters in 2012. “Hundreds of millions of dollars in marijuana sales that were previously taking place in a dangerous underground market are now being conducted safely,” Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. “It’s hard to imagine why anyone would prefer marijuana be controlled by criminals instead of by tightly regulated businesses. If drug cartels relied on litigation instead of violence, this is the lawsuit they would file.”

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.