Author: Gaspard Le Dem
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A New Socialist Coalition Wants To Localize The Fight For Cannabis Equity In Virginia
Cannabis advocates scored a huge win this year when Virginia passed a sweeping set of reforms legalizing the possession, home cultivation, and recreational sales of the plant. But for some, the work is only getting started. A new activist group is gearing up to take the fight for cannabis justice beyond Virginia’s state legislature, and…
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All Eyes Turn To Senate As House Approves Budget That Drops Ban On D.C. Pot Sales
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a package of spending bills on Thursday July 29 that, if enacted, would allow D.C. to launch a regulated market for recreational cannabis sales. D.C. voters overwhelmingly approved possession and home cultivation in a 2014 ballot initiative, but a Congressional budget rider has blocked the jurisdiction from using local…
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This Virginia Couple Is Selling Pot “Stashboxes” To Keep Drivers Safe From Open Container Laws
Consuming cannabis may now be legal in Virginia, but getting caught with pot behind the wheel can still get you in trouble. Under the commonwealth’s new laws, which went into effect on July 1, having an open container of cannabis in your car is considered a Class 4 misdemeanor. That’s Virginia’s lowest-level criminal offense, meaning…
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D.C. Police Chief Says Cannabis Is Fueling A Surge In Gun Violence. Advocates Say That’s ‘Absurd.’
A series of recent shootings in some of D.C.’s wealthy neighborhoods has left local officials scrambling to address gun violence in parts of D.C. that generally do not experience it. Though many District residents face gun violence on a daily basis, the public outcry first erupted when 6-year-old Nyiah Courtney was killed in a drive-by-shooting…
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This Outdated Tax Law Makes Turning a Profit Tough For D.C. Cannabis Businesses
Since 2015, Jen Brunenkant has been running Herbal Alternatives, a medical cannabis dispensary in Dupont Circle, one of D.C.’s most upscale neighborhoods. From a local perspective, her business is totally above board: D.C. legalized medical cannabis over a decade ago, and Brunenkant has a city-issued dispensary license. So when tax season rolls around, Brunenkant does…
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Virginia Gov. Northam Makes Picks For Three New Boards To Oversee Cannabis Legalization
Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday announced appointments to three newly-created boards charged with overseeing the future of recreational cannabis in Virginia in the wake of legalization earlier this month. On July 1, the commonwealth authorized the possession and home cultivation of pot for adult Virginians following the passage of sweeping new cannabis laws by the…
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Schumer (Finally) Unveils Long-Awaited First Draft Of Landmark Legalization Bill
After months of anticipation, a trio of Democratic Senators have finally unveiled the first draft of a major bill aimed at legalizing cannabis at the federal level. The 163-page document, titled the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, has broad implications for the future of pot in America, tackling issues from regulation to reparations. Sen. Majority…
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Virginia Legalized Cannabis. For Public Housing Residents, It’s Still Banned.
Recreational cannabis may now be legal in Virginia, but not everyone is reaping the benefits. For Virginians who live in public housing or receive federal rental assistance, using cannabis at home remains prohibited, and could have serious consequences. That’s because cannabis is still a federally banned substance, and organizations that get money from the U.S.…
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Some D.C. Dispensaries Say They Face Flower Shortages Because Growers Restrict Their Supply
Every week, Norbert Pickett orders cannabis from each of D.C.’s eight cultivators to restock the shelves of his small medical dispensary, Cannabliss, located on the East side of the Anacostia River in Deanwood. With the help of his wife and business partner, Collette Leonard, he selects various flower strains, oils, edibles, and other pot products,…
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House Budget Bill Scraps Biden’s Proposed Ban On Recreational Cannabis Sales In D.C.
House lawmakers greenlit a spending bill on Tuesday that leaves out a controversial provision banning D.C. from legalizing recreational cannabis sales. In a 33 to 24 vote, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Financial Services and General Government bill for fiscal year 2022. The legislation, which now heads to the House floor for a full…
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Virginia Cannabis Advocates Will Hand Out 10,000 Pot Seeds To Celebrate Legalization And Promote Homegrow
Cannabis legalization goes into effect tomorrow in Virginia and—as the saying goes—good seed makes a good crop. Advocates are getting ready to hand out 10,000 cannabis seeds on Thursday, July 1 to celebrate the first day of legal pot in the commonwealth. Organized by Virginia Marijuana Justice (VAMJ), “The Great Commonwealth Cannabis Seed Share” hopes…