Feds warn pot shops to move away from schools
Aug 24, 2012, 5:52 AM | Updated: 7:24 am
The DEA has sent letters to local marijuana storefronts operating near schools, warning them to move or face criminal charges (AP image)
(AP image)
Nearly two dozen local marijuana dispensaries are getting an unwanted warning from the DEA: Get away from schools or else.
The feds have sent a letter to 23 area dispensaries operating within 1,000 feet of an “educational facility or other prohibited area.”
While the DEA has taken a mostly hands-off approach to area marijuana businesses, the letter warns it will file criminal charges against the targeted businesses if they don’t shut down within 30 days.
Federal officials refused to specify the names of the businesses or even the cities they are operating in, saying many have yet to receive the letter.
“We need to enforce one message for our students: Drugs have no place in or near our schools,” U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan said in a news release.
The feds have taken similar actions in Colorado and California, where more than 300 letters have been sent out, primarily targeting businesses near schools, according to The Seattle Times.
Western Washington has seen a proliferation of marijuana dispensaries in recent years, with more than 140 operating in Seattle alone.
Initiative 502 on the November ballot would legalize dispensaries despite a federal prohibition.
The measure requires marijuana storefronts operate outside 1,000 feet of any school or educational facility.
