Commerce

Two federal lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Colorado on Thursday morning against the state’s politicians, public servants and businesses aim to “end the sale of recreational marijuana in this state,” according to attorney David H. Thompson, who represents the plaintiffs in both cases. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is among the defendants named in the lawsuits, which focus on property owners’ rights under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (aka RICO), a federal statute meant to eliminate “the infiltration of organized crime and racketeering into legitimate organizations operating in interstate commerce,” according to the Justice Department.