Sweet Leaf, once one of the largest cannabis retailers in Colorado, has had all of its cannabis licenses revoked by the city of Denver, Westword reports. The decision was expected, as earlier in April a city official had called for the move during a hearing by the city to determine a course of action.
Sweet Leaf held 26 medical and adult-use cannabis business licenses in Denver, which included many grow operations and infusion processing and manufacturing centers as well as seven retail dispensaries. The company was raided in December 2017 by the Denver Police Department after a year-long investigation into illegal sales.
“Enforcing rules when violations occur is an essential part of Denver’s successful regulation of one of the largest legalized marijuana markets in the world. After reviewing the overwhelming evidence, it’s clear the Hearing Officer made the correct decision in recommending the revocation of these licenses. Sweet Leaf’s illegal actions undermine the entire regulatory framework created by Amendment 64, the General Assembly and Denver City Council. This decision supports the will of the voters for a regulated legal marijuana market, safeguards the legal marijuana industry, and protects the safety and welfare of the public.” — Ashley Kilroy, Executive Director of the Denver Department of Excise and License
The official revoking of Sweet Leaf’s licenses is the final step in a process that started earlier this year. Several customers and budtenders were also arrested by Denver police; many received misdemeanor citations that were dropped for community service but several budtenders face felony charges that are still pending.