U.S. Attorney Mike Cotter

At a press conference in Missoula on Friday, U.S. Attorney for the State of Montana, Mike Cotter, announced that an operation in western Montana had been completed that convicted eight defendants for methamphetamine distribution and illegal firearms possession.

New relaxed marijuana laws in Washington and Colorado have helped lead to new policies by the U.S. Justice Department, allowing states to regulate the drug, as long as they keep it away from children, the black market and off federal property.