Author: Gaspard Le Dem
-
Virginia Police Report Shows Large Drop In Cannabis Arrests For 2020, But Omits Breakdown By Race
Roughly one year after Virginia decriminalized cannabis, pot arrests have almost been slashed in half in the commonwealth, according to an annual crime report released last week by state police. Cannabis arrests dropped by about 48% in 2020, decreasing to 13,640 incidents from 26,470 the previous year, the report shows. Arrests had peaked at nearly…
-
D.C. Council Votes To Block Blanket Cannabis Testing For Volunteers At Public Schools
The D.C. Council on Tuesday voted to block D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) from requiring blanket drug tests––including cannabis screenings––for prospective volunteers and contractors. In a drawn-out legislative meeting that started three hours behind schedule, the emergency bill passed 10-2, with Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto and Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie voting no, and At-Large…
-
Virginia Watchdog Suggests Adding Misdemeanor Penalties For Cannabis. Advocates Say It’s a Bad Idea.
A Virginia government watchdog is recommending significant changes to the state’s cannabis laws just weeks before possession is set to become legal, and as regulators prepare for the launch of recreational sales in 2024. In a report published last week, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), a state-funded group that keeps tabs on…
-
Virginia Governor’s Race Offers Two Drastically Different Visions For Legalizing Cannabis
Terry McAuliffe cruised to the Democratic nomination for Virginia governor on Tuesday, setting the stage for what could be a close race between the former governor and Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin, a businessman with no prior political experience. Polls show McAuliffe, an establishment candidate who is running for his old job—he was governor of Virginia…
-
D.C.’s Proposed Budget Offers Financial Boost To Cannabis Entrepreneurs Harmed By War On Drugs
D.C.’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes funding to help veterans and people formerly incarcerated on drug charges launch their own medical cannabis businesses in the District. As outlined in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposal, D.C. plans to set aside $300,000 for the Department of Small and Local Business Development to “provide financial and…
-
D.C. Public Schools Starts Screening Staff And Volunteers For Cannabis
As part of new hiring protocols, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) will now test all current and prospective employees for cannabis, including program partners, contractors, and even volunteers. The new policy, first reported by Washington City Paper, adds to an already substantive security clearance process required to work for DCPS that involves a background check, fingerprinting,…
-
Amid Massive Hiring Spree, Amazon Scraps Cannabis Screenings For Job Seekers
Amazon says it will no longer test job applicants for cannabis, though it will continue to perform random drug screenings for employees who are on the job. The policy reversal was announced on Tuesday by Dave Clark, Amazon’s CEO of consumer business, in a blog post on the company’s website. “In the past, like many…
-
D.C. ‘Shocked’ And ‘Disappointed’ By Biden Move To Uphold Ban On Recreational Cannabis Sales
D.C. elected officials and business owners are voicing their frustration following news that President Joe Biden’s proposed budget would continue to prevent the District from legalizing recreational cannabis sales. The White House released its $6 trillion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year on Friday May 28 that includes language blocking D.C. from using local…
-
As D.C. Reopens, Medical Cannabis Industry Emerges ‘Stronger Than Ever’
It has been a brutal year for D.C. businesses. Amid strict coronavirus restrictions, storefronts across the District faced a new socially distanced reality, leaving them to quickly adapt their business models or perish. Some found ways to cope, but many were forced to permanently shutter their doors. At least 375 businesses have closed in D.C.…
-
Despite D.C. Legalization Push, Police Raids Persist For Unlicensed Cannabis Shops
While D.C. lawmakers forge ahead with efforts to legalize recreational cannabis sales, police in the nation’s capital continue to crack down on businesses that use a “gifting” loophole to sell cannabis in the District. Last week, more than a dozen police officers descended on a storefront called House of Herbs in D.C.’s Park View neighborhood,…
-
D.C. Temporarily Reverses Ban On Former Felons In Cannabis Industry
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed emergency legislation last week that allows people with non-violent felony records to own—or work at—a licensed medical cannabis dispensary, cultivation center, or testing lab. The new law, enacted on May 3, nixes a previous statute that prohibited anyone with a felony record from participating in D.C.’s medical cannabis industry. However,…
-
Will the U.S. Botanic Garden Display Hemp?
From the notoriously pungent corpse flower to the bright-red torch lily, the U.S. Botanic Garden has long dazzled visitors with an expansive display of exotic flora and rare plants. But the hemp plant—a more common species—has always been conspicuously absent from the garden, which sits just steps away from the Capitol Building in Washington. Now,…