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 The complaints, one aimed at state government officials and the
other at marijuana businesses, were filed in U.S. District Court in
Denver by a hotel operator and the owners of a Colorado horse ranch.
Colorado is among four states where voters have approved the
possession and sale of marijuana for recreational purposes, although
pot is illegal for any purpose under federal law.
President Barack Obama's administration has allowed states that
permit medicinal or recreational marijuana leeway in regulating its
use.
In a news conference to announce the lawsuits, the plaintiffs'
lawyer, David Thompson, accused Obama of turning a blind eye to the
enforcement of federal drug laws, saying: "In this country, only
Congress can change federal law, not the president."
Thompson, a lawyer with Safe Streets Alliance, a Washington-based
organization aimed at reducing youth drug use and violence, said
Colorado's regulatory scheme amounted to an illegal drug conspiracy
and as such was "a quintessential racketeering enterprise."
The hotel operator's lawsuit said: "Marijuana businesses make bad
neighbors. They drive away legitimate businesses customers, emit
pungent, foul odors, attract undesirable visitors, increase criminal
activity, increase traffic, and reduce property values."
Another plaintiff, Hope Reilly, told reporters she planned to open
an animal-assisted therapy program for children on the 105-acre
horse property she owns in the south of the state.
"Having a recreational marijuana cultivation facility next door
interferes with that," she said.
In December, Colorado's marijuana laws were challenged in the U.S.
Supreme Court by the neighboring states of Nebraska and Oklahoma,
which say marijuana sold in Colorado has been smuggled across state
lines.
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The Colorado Attorney General's Office has vowed to defend against
that lawsuit, and a spokeswoman for the office said on Thursday the
agency would likewise fight the latest legal action in order to
uphold state law.
The owners of the marijuana businesses named as defendants in the
lawsuit could not immediately be reached for comment, but supporters
of the industry spoke in favor of the state's regulatory efforts.
Democratic State Representative Jonathan Singer said Colorado had
reaped millions in taxes and fees for much-needed programs since
recreational cannabis became legal.
"The sky hasn't fallen," Singer said. "We have to stop rehashing the
fights of old."
(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Peter
Cooney)
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