Some of the businesses caught in a raid on medical marijuana shops want a federal jury to decide whether the arrests and seizures violated their constitutional rights. Some of the businesses caught in a raid on medical marijuana shops want a federal jury to decide whether the arrests and seizures violated their constitutional rights.

That's just one of several requests listed in a lawsuit filed by the Montana Caregivers Association and MCM Caregivers in U.S. District Court in Missoula this week.

The suit follows a series of raids directed by the Department of Justice at medical marijuana shops and growing operations in Missoula, Kalispell, Bozeman and other Montana cities in late March.

Agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency and other federal agencies, along with support help from local law enforcement, seized cash, equipment and marijuana in the raids, which happened over the space of two days.

In the suit, the plaintiffs are accusing the federal government of making the raids at the same time the Montana Legislature was considering a repeal of the state's medical marijuana laws, which were approved by voters.

The plaintiffs say "the federal government has made clear its intent to threaten and eventually eliminate any business or enterprise related to the medical use of marijuana."

The court documents include a letter sent to Montana lawmakers from U.S. Attorney for Montana Michael Cotter explaining prosecution of illegal drug trafficking is a "core priority" of the U.S. Justice Department. In the letter Cotter says the "core priority includes the prosecution of business enterprises that unlawfully market and sell marijuana".

The federal government still considers any growing, distribution or possession of marijuana in "any capacity" to be a violation of federal law.