To view the article referenced, click here.

If this were not a satirical article, then I would applaud Phillip Morris. Marketing and selling a marijuana cigarette to residents of Colorado, and soon to be Washington, would be pure genius, as evidenced by the large [fictional] jump in the price of shares. However, I would question the wisdom of “contacting former drug lords in Mexico and Paraguay”. Maybe I’ve just seen one too many gangster movies, but drug lords, former or otherwise, do not seem to be the best candidates to rely on for a steady stream of anything, much less drugs. I also would wonder how and where Phillip Morris would produce these cigarettes. Marijuana is still illegal in the states bordering Mexico, so could they be trafficking drugs across state lines, or merely using United States air space to fly in a substance still considered illegal by the federal government? Would Philip Morris produce the marijuana cigarettes in Colorado, or would they risk drug possession charges on a monumental scale by producing it in another state, or would they be committing the ultimate American sin in outsourcing jobs to those “drug lords” and the people they employ to kidnap unsuspecting tourists.  I also would wonder what lawyers would broker this kind of deal.

One very real, and non-fictional problem lawyers in Colorado are now facing is how to navigate the law surrounding new dispensaries while simultaneously staying faithful to their oath to uphold all federal laws. Right now, any lawyer in Colorado who negotiates a contract or a lease for a new dispensary risks disbarment. In fact, any lawyer who does any kind of work dealing with recreational marijuana use would be acting contrary to the laws of the federal government and would thus be sanctionable.

Jeff Krigel is an Oklahoma licensed attorney who focuses his practice on criminal defense. If you are facing drug charges in Oklahoma,  give us a call at: (918) 994-2340. We offer free consultations and have payment plans available.