While many communities are grappling with medical marijuana regulation, the substance is still illegal on federally and tribally joint controlled land – and the US attorney's office continues to prosecute cases. Here's the latest in Eastern Montana.
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on November 3, 2010, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, Joseph Daniel Little Coyote, Sr., a 67-year-old resident of Lame Deer/Ash land, appeared for sentencing. He was given 12 months and 1 day prison, $500 in fines and 4 years supervised release.
Little Coyote was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to (5) counts of distribution of marijuana to persons under the age of 21.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia K. Hurd said Little Coyote came under investigation when the FBI received information that he had been routinely providing marijuana to juveniles on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation for a number of years. It was alleged that Little Coyote allowed them to smoke his marijuana with him as well as he gave them marijuana to smoke on their own. A number of juveniles gave statements to law enforcement about Little Coyote's marijuana usage and his giving them marijuana to smoke in 2005 and 2006, and in some cases, continuing until recently.
Evidence at trial would have been presented by a number of juveniles and adults who either received such distributions or were present when others did. One thing different about this case is that while he gave marijuana to many people, he did not sell or barter it – he gave it out for free. The amount he distributed is unknown.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In another eastern Montana area grappling with medical marijuana, early in October Dawson County Commissioners passed a medical marijuana moratorium. The moratorium requirements gave existing care providers in the county until October 17th to comply with a new registration requirement in the county sanitarian's office. County Sanitarian Mike White said that no medical marijuana caregivers came forward and registered. County commissioner Adam Gardner at Thursday's county commission meeting said that he is organizing a meeting between the commissioners, the sanitarian, and the county sheriff Craig Anderson to address the non-compliance of the area caregivers.
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