Charges stemming from the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act have long been a looming threat in the cannabis industry. Coming from civil, state and federal levels, the charges have been used as a method to stymie cannabis operations, whether just or not.
Established in 1970, US RICO charges were initially meant to pursue high profile mob bosses, but now cover a range of offenses, including gambling, money laundering, slavery, racketeering and a slew of other illegal business allegations.
To date, most cannabis RICO cases have been unsuccessful. Still, the process can do immense damage to brands.