Former DEA Task Force Commander and marijuana business law attorney Charles Feldmann was recently interviewed by Marijuana Business Daily (follow the link to read the full Q & A session). In the interview, he shared that he used to work as a task force commander for the feds when he was an agent between 1996 and 2001. Later, he also worked as a Justice Department attorney prosecuting drug traffickers in Colorado. Since then, he has shifted his focus to working with clients in the legal cannabis trade, and now provides legal counsel in the areas of MJ investor relations, funding, and tax issues.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
- As a former task force commander, Mr. Feldmann prosecuted drug cases in northwest Colorado.
- After leaving the DEA, Mr. Feldmann analyzed the federal risk of marijuana business dealings for clients and what the potential consequences were for license holders, landlords, and investors. Today, now that the federal risk and outlook for marijuana legalization has significantly changed, his role has evolved into advising clients on how to stay 100 percent compliant with regulations.
- Although marijuana has never been at the top of the priority list for the DEA, a radical change at the federal level is not expected for quite some time. However, Mr. Feldmann believes that marijuana may be reclassified from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug in the near future.
- If the federal government reclassifies marijuana, not much is likely to change for Colorado businesses. However, other states may benefit by building their entire model to fit right under the pharmacy model to get the blessing of the federal government and eliminate risk.
- There are still triggers that could cause the DEA to take action against certain legal marijuana businesses in Colorado. This could include flaunting the state cannabis system, or moving quantities over state lines.
If you are a marijuana business owner in Colorado and need assistance with a legal matter affecting your business, please do not hesitate to contact Cantafio & Song PLLC for sound guidance. We offer a wide variety of services, including corporate documentation, retail licensing, wholesale manufacturing, tax compliance issue review, and regulatory/business compliance. We represent clients from coast to coast.
To request your initial case evaluation, please call (888) 458-0991.