Pubdate: Wed, 04 Sep 2013
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Copyright: 2013 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Bryce Crawford

FEDS COULD CHANGE THEIR MMJ ATTITUDE, BILLYGOATGREEN OWNER FOUND DEAD

Under (Less) Pressure

Citing "a senior Department of Justice official," the Huffington Post
reported Friday that the federal government is looking at potentially
changing the way its actions dissuade banking institutions from
working with medical marijuana businesses.

"During a briefing on the department's new policy Thursday, the
official would not fully rule out prosecution in any case, but the new
approach is a reversal of a DEA policy that had warned banks not to
work with marijuana businesses," the Post reported. "The Justice
official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the
department recognized that forcing the establishments to operate on a
cash basis put them at greater risk of robbery and violence."

The possible shift follows Deputy Attorney General James Cole's more
impactful announcement that the Department of Justice will not sue the
states of Colorado and Washington in an attempt to block their
liberalized marijuana laws (see Noted).

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter released a statement pushing for
further evolution in the law. The Colorado Democrat is a sponsor of
the Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act, which has been
languishing in committee since its introduction on July 10, and
govtrack.us gives a 2 percent chance of being enacted.

"Currently, under federal banking laws, many legal, regulated
legitimate marijuana businesses operating legally according to state
law are prevented from maintaining bank accounts and accessing
financial products like any other business such as accepting credit
cards, depositing revenues, or writing checks to meet payroll or pay
taxes." Perlmutter said. "They are forced to operate as cash-only
enterprises, inviting crime such as robbery and tax evasion only
adding to the burden of setting up a legitimate small business. ...

"[The act] has bipartisan support, and I urge Congressional leaders to
promptly move this bill forward to a vote."

Pair found dead

Pritchard Garrett, the 31-year-old founder of Billygoatgreen MMJ - a
marijuana-donation delivery service that was stung by police shortly
after we reported on its existence Jan. 30 - was found dead Aug. 10 in
a trailer in Las Animas County. Alongside him was his 26-year-old wife
Alicia; the sheriff's office called it a murder-suicide.

Garrett was facing eight charges, and with previous convictions acting
as sentence multipliers, the potential for life in prison. Alicia was
also facing felony charges, according to the Denver Post. Despite the
rap, Garrett told the Indy in May that "it's not that Billygoatgreen
is just some gun-toting, drug-dealing organization. That's far from
the truth. ... I'm doing it because it's the only thing that I've ever
loved, and it's the only thing that I'm good at."
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