Colorado marijuana attorney Rob Corry has filed a lawsuit on behalf of marijuana business owners and consumers with the goal of stopping taxes from being collected on marijuana sales. The lawsuit claims that taxing marijuana sales violates the ‘right against self-incrimination guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit was filed in Denver District Court and seeks to get an injunction against marijuana taxes. Per Reuters:
Corry, who also represents businesses in the marijuana industry and brought the suit on behalf of several marijuana dispensary owners and pot users, names elected officials and tax-collecting agencies as defendants in the complaint.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office said that they will fight the lawsuit with everything they have. Colorado has benefited greatly from marijuana taxes. The taxes generated from marijuana sales in Colorado has been one of the ‘go to facts’ provided by marijuana reform supporters nationwide.
Whether or not the lawsuit will be successful is something that people will have to wait to see. What the motivation is behind the lawsuit is unknown as far as I can tell. As a law nerd, I find the argument compelling. But as a marijuana activist, I’m having a hard time fitting my head around why someone would want to derail marijuana taxes. Things seem to be going well in Colorado from what I’ve observed from afar, and from what I have heard from friends and colleagues that live there. This lawsuit is a story worth following, and I’ll do my best to keep readers updated.
