{"id":7872,"date":"2017-11-22T18:23:10","date_gmt":"2017-11-22T18:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com?p=2866255&amp;preview_id=2866255"},"modified":"2017-11-22T18:23:10","modified_gmt":"2017-11-22T18:23:10","slug":"colorado-based-consultant-behind-tribes-ill-fated-marijuana-resort-has-drug-case-dismissed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/colorado-based-consultant-behind-tribes-ill-fated-marijuana-resort-has-drug-case-dismissed\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado-based consultant behind tribe\u2019s ill-fated marijuana resort has drug case dismissed"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/colorado-based-consultant-behind-tribes-ill-fated-marijuana-resort-has-drug-case-dismissed\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"large-10 large-centered small-12 columns\">\n<div class=\"entry-meta-date\">Published: Nov 22, 2017, 10:44 am \u2022 Updated: Nov 22, 2017, 11:02 am<span class=\"single-comments-link\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"byline\">By <strong>James Nord<\/strong>, <em> The Associated Press<\/em><\/p>\n<p>SIOUX FALLS, S.D. \u2014 A cannabis cultivation expert who was prosecuted in South Dakota after working with a Native American tribe trying to open the nation\u2019s first marijuana resort will see his drug case dismissed.<\/p>\n<p>A sentence handed down Tuesday for Jonathan Hunt caps the state\u2019s prosecution of two consultants who worked with the Flandreau Santee Sioux on an ambitious venture that the tribe <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2015\/09\/29\/marijuana-resort-south-dakota-indian-tribe-santee-sioux\/41591\/\">once dubbed an \u201cadult playground\u201d<\/a> that could bring in $2 million a month.<\/p>\n<p>The plan for a resort north of Sioux Falls was ultimately abandoned after fears of a federal raid culminated with the tribe <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2015\/11\/09\/south-dakota-marijuana-tribal-lands-tribe-burned-pot-crop-fear-federal-raid\/43555\/\">burning its marijuana crop in 2015<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A state judge agreed to Hunt\u2019s request for a suspended imposition of sentence, allowing the case to be dismissed and the record to be sealed after he met the conditions of paying a $500 fine and about $100 in court costs, according to Hunt\u2019s attorney, Clint Sargent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel free,\u201d Hunt told The Associated Press. \u201cI think the whole thing never should have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hunt, 44, and Eric Hagen worked for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2015\/07\/15\/monarch-america-colorado-marijuana-consultant\/38052\/\">Colorado-based Monarch America, a marijuana consulting company<\/a>, when they were charged last year after assisting the tribe. The two consultants faced charges for their roles in the cannabis-growing operation.<\/p>\n<p>Hagen, the president and CEO of Monarch America, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/05\/24\/south-dakota-sioux-marijuana-resort-consultant-trial\/80177\/\">fought his charges at trial<\/a> and a jury cleared him of several felony drug counts.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2016\/08\/15\/south-dakota-tribe-marijuana-consultants-jonathan-hunt-plea\/61130\/\">Hunt pleaded guilty<\/a> to felony conspiracy to possess marijuana after agreeing to cooperate with authorities. He had overseen the Santee Sioux\u2019s marijuana crop before it was burned. Hunt, who no longer works with Monarch America, said he now plans to work in the medical and recreational cannabis industry in California.<\/p>\n<p>South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley confirmed that Hunt had been sentenced, saying he was held accountable for his role in the Flandreau marijuana case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA marijuana resort is a violation of both federal and South Dakota law that would further create public health and safety issues across our state,\u201d Jackley told the AP.<\/p>\n<p>The Santee Sioux announced its plan for the resort in 2015, setting the stage for a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2015\/11\/07\/south-dakota-marijuana-crop-flandreau-santee-sioux-tribe\/43489\/\">collision between the tribe\u2019s hopes<\/a> for economic development and state and federal law.<\/p>\n<p>The tribe began the marijuana growing operation after the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2014\/12\/11\/doj-ruling-indian-tribes-states-can-decide-whether-legalize-pot\/25119\/\">Justice Department outlined a new policy<\/a> clearing the way for American Indian tribes to grow and sell marijuana under the same conditions as some states that have legalized pot.<\/p>\n<p>When tribal leaders initially touted their plan to open the resort on tribal land in Flandreau, tribal President Anthony Reider said they wanted it to be \u201can adult playground.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The tribe projected as much as $2 million in monthly profits. The plans included creating a smoking lounge with a nightclub, bar and food service, and eventually an outdoor music venue. The tribe planned to use the money for community services and to provide income to tribal members.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .row --> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>A cannabis cultivation expert who was prosecuted in South Dakota after working with a Native American tribe trying to open the nation&#8217;s first marijuana resort will see his drug case dismissed. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6811,6813,77,5577,6933,5667,9,6833,7400,1279,5019,1028,1,3,61,1736],"tags":[6816,6818,2655,5580,6934,5673,6835,7401,3849,5022,3599],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7872"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7872\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}