Author: Brandon Soderberg
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Maryland and D.C. Dispensaries Cannot Receive Federal Stimulus Funds
As The Outlaw Report noted last week, cannabis companies are not eligible for federal support from the Small Business Administration (SBA) mostly because the federal government also doesn’t view cannabis as medicine. It remains a Schedule I drug under federal guidelines. That also means the industry which like all other industries, is entering into a…
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The Aboveground and Underground Cannabis Economy in Maryland Amid COVID-19
COVID-19 has provided Maryland’s medicinal cannabis dispensaries with increased sales and left them with a problem to solve: How to make those sales amid social distancing and state-ordered “stay at home” policies. Morgan Eichensehr of the Baltimore Business Journal, spoke to Christopher Jensen of Mana Supply in Edgewater, MD who said his store’s sales have…
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Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Meeting Deals With COVID-19, Ignores Cheryl Glenn Scandal Again
This month’s Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) meeting, held on March 25 over teleconference due to COVID-19, was the second meeting this year that did not address what most of the Maryland cannabis industry is discussing: The ongoing Cheryl Glenn scandal. Since last month’s February 20 meeting, businessman Lance Lucas pleaded guilty to bribing former…
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Changes to Cannabis Charges in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia Amid Coronavirus
Last week, a statement released by the Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), an organization focused on progressive change among prosecutors, recommended that amid the spread of Coronavirus, older and other especially vulnerable inmates be released and overall, law enforcement reduce the number of arrests and “stop admitting people to jail absent a serious risk to…
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Maryland Dispensaries An ‘Essential Business’; Cannabis Commission Provides Policy Changes Amid Coronavirus
On Monday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan ordered all “nonessential” businesses closed in response to the Coronavirus. Consulting federal guidelines, Hogan provided a list of businesses determined “essential” that can remain open. The Interpretive Guidance document for the state of Maryland released by Hogan—which you can read here—differs in at least one way from the federal…
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Coronavirus Reveals Cannabis Law Contradictions in DMV
The Coronavirus has made it clear that critiques directed towards many of the systems in the United States are no longer up for debate. Suddenly, even some Republicans are suggesting socialism-tinged policies to address the pandemic and the need to get people out of jail, to put a pause on evictions, and hand over thousands…
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Cannabis Legalization in Maryland a Non-Starter in 2020, But Still Worth Debating
The day before a hearing earlier this month regarding Delegate David Moon-sponsored House Bill 1400, an ambitious cannabis bill that would establish legalization of cannabis and allow for home growing in Maryland, Maryland Marijuana Justice (MDMJ) was characteristically honest. “Join us tomorrow in Annapolis to advocate in support of #HB1400 introduced by @DavidMoon2014,” @MDMJ tweeted…
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The Lance Lucas Guilty Plea: Beyond the Slimy Details
After reading news coverage of Lance Lucas pleading guilty in federal court to bribing former Delegate Cheryl Glenn for among other things, medicinal cannabis licenses, you would be forgiven for reveling in the ridiculous details. Lucas meeting Glenn in his Porsche and handing her envelopes full of cash. Lucas boasting that bribing a legislator is…
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The Outlaw Report Podcast: The State of Maryland’s Medicinal Cannabis Industry
Join Prohibited podcast founder, Scott Cecil, as he teams up with the Outlaw Report to bring you a monthly DMV based discussion and recap of current cannabis events, news, and noteworthy conversations happening in the industry. On this first episode, Cecil talk to The Outlaw Report’s Brandon Soderberg about the state of medicinal cannabis in…
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Before Coronavirus Adjournment, Crucial Cannabis Legislation Passes House
In response to the coronavirus, it was announced on Sunday, March 15 that the legislative session would end early—wrapping up on March 18 rather than April 6. As a result, a number of bills will be put on pause, and Senate President Bill Ferguson along with House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones said they…
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Marilyn Mosby’s Cannabis Possession Policy One Year Later
On January 29, 2019, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced a major shift in cannabis policy: The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) would no longer be prosecuting cannabis possession cases in Baltimore, regardless of weight or past criminal record. “We need to get serious about prioritizing what actually makes us safe,” Mosby said…
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Lance Lucas Pleads Guilty to Medicinal Cannabis License Bribes
On Monday, Lance Lucas, the former president of Maryland’s Black Chamber of Commerce and the head of a nonprofit promoting digital literacy, pleaded guilty to paying disgraced Delegate Cheryl Glenn $42,500 in bribes relating to, among other things, medicinal cannabis licenses. This comes after Glenn, who was the former chair of the Black Legislative Caucus…