Pot 'smurfs' and 'loopers' playing with fire, feds warn

Jan. 30--Weed "smurfs" and "loopers" are being warned any attempt to stock up on pot products to sell on the black market could spark the interest of federal agents.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling and the Drug Enforcement Administration both vowed on Wednesday to continue to crack down on weed violations, including "smurfing" -- buying the maximum allowable amount of marijuana from multiple dispensaries for the purpose of selling it illegally, often across state lines.

"As I have said in the past, the U.S. Attorney's Office continues to pursue marijuana enforcement and will review potential matters on a case-by-case basis," Lelling said in a statement. "We continue to police interstate transportation of marijuana along with incoming or outgoing shipments of cash and use of the federal banking system."

The Drug Enforcement Administration said the opioid epidemic remains a focus, but agents will not ignore pot violations.

"DEA's mission is to identify, disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations involved in large scale manufacturing, smuggling and/or distribution of illegal drugs as defined by the federal Controlled Substances Act.," DEA spokesman Tim Desmond said.

"DEA will not turn its head to other violations, including those involving marijuana," he added. "Anyone in possession of or distributing a controlled substance could potentially face prosecution. The likelihood to be prosecuted for marijuana can be especially true if you take or ship marijuana across state lines to states where there are no state marijuana laws."

The state Cannabis Control Commission and Attorney General Maura Healey's Office on Tuesday said they are looking to create a multiagency task force to, among other things, find ways to blunt "smurfs" and "loopers" -- people who make multiple purchases of marijuana in one day at the same dispensary.

The commission's adult-use regulations prohibit a marijuana retailer from knowingly selling more than one ounce of marijuana or its dry-weight equivalence to a customer within a single day.

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