Is Mass Incarceration for Drug Offenses a Myth?

Opinions on criminal justice reform cannot always be properly expressed in 140 characters, but apparently someone forgot to mention that to George Brauchler. Best known as the prosecutor in the Aurora movie theater shooting trial, Mr. Brauchler recently learned this lesson the hard way.

The high-profile district attorney sent out a tweet saying, “‘Mass incarceration’ is a myth. Individuals with their own attorneys were convicted and sentenced individually.” His tweet was written as a response to an opinion piece in [...]

The New Drug Trafficking: Sending Legal Colorado Pot to Other States

Drug trafficking is illegal no matter where you are. But with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, it’s easier than ever to ship marijuana somewhere else and reap the financial benefits.

Illegal drug traffickers are using Colorado as a safe haven for growing marijuana in regulated pot farms and warehouses, then discreetly sending it to other places where traffickers can make an excellent profit.

One instance of drug trafficking had an owner of a skydiving company filling his planes with [...]

4 Ways Marijuana Users Can Face Drug Charges in Colorado

If you’re a marijuana user, you’re probably pretty happy to be living in Colorado. It’s easy for you to make a trip to your local dispensary and enjoy a relaxing night. But just because recreational marijuana is legal, that doesn’t mean everything regarding marijuana is legal in our state.

There are still numerous ways that marijuana users can face drug crime charges for possession, sale, distribution, and cultivation of marijuana. So let’s look at four of those ways.

1. It’s [...]

Colorado’s Marijuana Laws and Penalties

If you are a recreational user of marijuana, legalization probably made you stand up and cheer. Finally you could stop hiding and feeling guilty about using marijuana. If you wanted to light up on the street, you could just do it.

Wrong.

With the legalization of recreational marijuana use under Amendment 64, you may be under the impression that marijuana laws are now obsolete in Colorado. This, however, is not the case.

While the recreational use of marijuana is allowed, [...]

Are Penalties for Drug Crimes Too Harsh?

Few would argue that the penalties for drug crimes in the US are anything but incredibly harsh. Under current Colorado and federal laws, the punishment for possessing even small amounts of illegal drugs may include prison time, staggering fines, and a lifelong criminal record. It is not uncommon for non-violent drug crimes to be penalized with lifelong prison sentences.

Current penalties are so tough that many advocates are calling for drug law reform, arguing that current laws crowd prisons and [...]