Federal agents raided 26 medical-marijuana dispensaries and grow sites in 13 Montana cities on 14 March 2011, in an operation spanning Belgrade, Big Sky, Billings, Bozeman, Columbia Falls, Dillon, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Miles City, Missoula, Olney and Whitefish.[1] The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation took part.[1] No arrests were made, though the US Attorney asserted probable cause for several federal criminal violations.[1]
Owners reported that agents seized marijuana plants, computers and cell phones, and in some cases froze bank accounts; no charges were filed immediately after the raids.[2] At the Montana Cannabis greenhouse near Helena, agents seized computers, data storage, products and 1,680 plants while about 15 workers were detained during the search.[2]
US Attorney Michael Cotter said the warrants capped an 18-month multi-agency investigation and targeted premises where there was probable cause of large-scale trafficking, noting marijuana’s status as a Schedule 1 drug under federal law.[2] He said people clearly complying with state law were not the focus, a line advocates rejected: Americans for Safe Access said the raids were timed to undermine the democratic process while the legislature debated HB 161, a bill to repeal the voter-approved medical-marijuana law.[1][2]
The Helena greenhouse belonged to Montana Cannabis, whose partner Christopher Williams was convicted in the case in September 2012 and sentenced in February 2013 to five years in prison; his trial and sentencing are covered in a separate report.[3]
