Some recreational drug dealers who get arrested will be surprised that the prosecution accuses them of dealing. You may not realize it or intend to do it, but specific actions are considered behavior that qualifies as drug dealing. Laws are written this way to punish...
Drug Sales & Distribution
Mushrooms are still illegal
Coloradans are gearing up to vote on the NMHA ballot initiative. While magic mushrooms have in some circumstances been decriminalized for adults over 21 in Denver since 2019, the change would mean that it would no longer be illegal for people over 21 to grow, possess...
U.S. Supreme Court will look at sentencing disparity for crack cocaine
The First Step Act (FSA) of 2018 was one of the few bipartisan bills passed during the Trump presidency. The goal was to reduce draconian or overly severe sentencing guidelines for drug charges leftover from the zero-tolerance era. Then the Supreme Court unanimously...
What constitutes intent to distribute?
The state and federal governments break down laws to a granular level. There are also gradations of appropriate penalties for misdemeanors and felonies. Making matters more confusing, there are charges like assault and battery, which are similar but with specific...
Are medical marijuana delivery services legal in Colorado?
The above headline query in today’s Shazam Kianpour & Associates blog post begs both a “yes” and “no” answer.Here’s why: State-licensed marijuana dispensaries are currently authorized to make deliveries to the homes of select Colorado residents, but only if those...
Recent CO drug sting underscores state’s resolve, resources
One of our website practice pages at the established Denver criminal defense law firm of Shazam Kianpour & Associates references a number of drugs that become problematic for arrested Colorado residents. Unsurprisingly, marijuana is one cited entry. So too is...
Why does asset forfeiture continue to cast a glaring spotlight?
It’s a money grab and little more.That is the oft-stated complaint levied by legions of Americans from across a broad spectrum against a common police practice they roundly condemn.What citizens, advocacy groups, constitutional scholars and high numbers of personally...
Denver legal marijuana business targeted for drug crimes
The Denver marijuana enterprise Sweet Leaf has been both large and profitable for some time. The legal pot dispensary has multiple outlets that employ several hundred workers. Sweet Leaf’s owners have reported scorers of millions of dollars in company revenue.Much of...
Federal sentencing spotlight: reform on horizon in some drug cases?
We duly note on a page of our website at the tenured Denver criminal defense law firm of Shazam Kianpour & Associates that the federal legal system involves an “ever-present risk.” Actually, readers delving into our site will readily see that the American justice...
Opponents of civil asset forfeiture many, sharply critical
It is not hard to see why there is a broad and bipartisan critique nationally of the practice called civil asset forfeiture. A quick and simple example readily explains why.To wit: Many people across the country have had their assets seized by criminal law authorities...