Author: Brandon Soderberg
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The Outlaw Report Podcast Episode 02: Cannabis in the DMV During COVID-19
In the second episode of The Outlaw Report podcast, Prohibited podcast founder Scott Cecil talks to reporter Brandon Soderberg about how Maryland, Washington DC, and Virgina are dealing with cannabis during COVID-19. They discuss responses to cannabis laws by police during the pandemic and how the medicinal cannabis industry in Maryland and DC are dealing…
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Anti-Cannabis Congressman Andy Harris Downplays COVID-19’s Impact
Maryland’s only Republican congressman and all-around enemy to cannabis reform Andy Harris has been in the news lately, battling with Maryland governor Larry Hogan regarding “stay at home” orders tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and it seems, expressing disappointment that the virus has only killed nearly 100,000 Americans. “They promised two million dead at the…
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More Dispensaries in Virginia; Richmond Council Proposes Excluding Cannabis From Drug Testing
Virginia’s dedication to cannabis reform in 2020 is one of the most fascinating and encouraging cannabis stories in the region. The approval of decriminalization of up to an ounce and the establishment of a proper medicinal cannabis program nearly catches Virginia up to Maryland which began its own similar changes six years earlier. There are…
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Maryland Governor Hogan Vetoes Bill Automatically Expunging Cannabis Convictions
Among a smattering of vetoes from Maryland governor Larry Hogan last week was the vetoing of House Bill 83, which would have prevented cannabis possession convictions from going into Maryland Case Search, the state’s court database, if it was “the only charge in the case and the charge was disposed of before October 1, 2014.”…
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Physician Volunteering To Help With COVID-19 Rejected Because She Uses Medicinal Cannabis
Alexys Hillman, a Board Certified physician, Army veteran, and medicinal cannabis patient came all the way from Pensacola, Florida to Baltimore, Maryland to help those suffering from COVID-19 before she was told by Johns Hopkins Medicine that she would not be able to volunteer because she used cannabis. Back in early April, Hillman was looking…
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Washington DC Dispensaries Respond to Cannabis Delivery Rule
On April 13, an emergency rulemaking announced by Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser and DC’s Health Department allowed the district’s medical marijuana dispensaries the ability to deliver for the first time. It was in response to COVID-19 which makes access to DC’s seven medicinal cannabis dispensaries extremely limited which means many patients cannot access the…
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Cannabis Reform Has Not Stopped Virginia Cops From Touting Pot Busts
This legislative session, Virginia has rapidly moved along with cannabis reform, decriminalizing cannabis possession up to an ounce, establishing the framework for medicinal cannabis, and regulating CBD food products. The Outlaw Report has noted how in a matter of a few months, it seems as though Virginia is catching up with many of nearby Maryland’s…
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Survey of Baltimoreans’ Experiences with Police Details Cannabis Injustice
A survey by Morgan State University’s Institute for Urban Research titled, “The Community’s Experiences and Perceptions of the Baltimore City Police Department Survey Report,” was released last week, coinciding with the five-year anniversary of Freddie Gray’s April 19, 2015 death in police custody and the subsequent uprising. The survey, submitted to the Baltimore City Police…
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Senators Harris, Sanders, Warren and More Request Federal Support for Cannabis Companies During COVID-19
Cannabis companies have been locked out of federal support due to cannabis remaining illegal under federal law, but 10 senators are working to change that. A letter signed by Senators Michael Bennet, Catherine Cortez Masto, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Jacky Rosen, Bernie Sanders, Ron Wyden, and Elizabeth Warren was sent to…
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Decriminalize Nature D.C Poll Shows 60% Support for Psychedelics Decriminalization
A poll from Washington D.C. advocacy group Decriminalize Nature D.C. suggests a majority of residents support the decriminalization of psilocybin mushrooms and other “entheogens”—or psychedelic substances—such as mescaline, ayahuasca, or DMT. This poll is the latest in a series of creative responses to COVID-19 that Decriminalize Nature D.C. has come up with as they continue…
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Virginia Cannabis Reform Continues
Virginia approved cannabis decriminalization earlier this month and continues expanding cannabis and cannabis-related reform. Senate Bill 918/House Bill 1430, recently approved by Governor Ralph Northam, regulates products containing CBD as food: “The bill authorizes the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt regulations establishing contaminant tolerances, labeling requirements, and batch testing requirements,” SB 918’s…
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ACLU Report Reveals Racial Disparities For Cannabis Arrests Remain Amid Reform
For this year’s 4/20 celebration, the American Civil Liberties Union released a sobering report. Titled “A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform,” the in-depth report illustrates how black people are 3.6 times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis possession. This is similar, the ACLU…