DENVER – A federal jury has ruled against a Colorado couple who claimed a neighboring marijuana grow operation hurt their property’s value in a case closely watched by the U.S. cannabis industry.
The Colorado Sun reported Wednesday that jurors reached their verdict in Denver after deliberating for about half a day.
It was the first time a jury considered a lawsuit using federal anti-racketeering law to target a marijuana company.
Matthew Buck, the lawyer for grow owner Parker Walton, says a loss in court would have meant the loss of Walton’s business.
Vulnerability to similar lawsuits is among the many risks facing marijuana businesses licensed by states but still violating federal law. Lawsuits using the same strategy have been filed in California, Massachusetts and Oregon.
