Author: Ethan McLeod
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Q&A: Terrence White to Lead I-71 Committee, a Business Coalition in D.C.’s Cannabis Gray Market
The I-71 Committee has had a busy year of advocacy. Amid a push over the last year by D.C. government to more closely regulate and inspect recreational cannabis “gifting” businesses and bolster the city’s medical cannabis market, it’s been a time for gray market business operators to “come out of the shadows,” says Terrence White,…
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A New Task Force Will Increase Scrutiny of D.C.’s I-71 Market Starting Next Week
UPDATE September 15, 3 p.m.: The Joint Cannabis Task Force has reportedly delayed inspections for an indefinite period of time. Unlicensed cannabis businesses operating in the District of Columbia’s gray market can expect more inspections and heightened regulatory scrutiny after the end of Labor Day weekend. Next Tuesday marks the launch of inspections by the…
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Maryland Lawmakers Discuss Nuts And Bolts Of Weed Regulation Ahead Of Referendum On Legalization
Two months after the conclusion of a legislative session that put cannabis legalization on the November ballot, a panel of Maryland lawmakers reconvened on Tuesday to discuss how to best regulate recreational pot, from setting tax rates to licensing rules and more. Only seven of the 11 lawmakers on the Maryland House Cannabis Referendum and…
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Could Delaware Leapfrog the DMV on Cannabis Legalization?
Among local drug policy watchers, all eyes were on Virginia and Maryland this spring as lawmakers hotly debated the future of legalization in their states. But in both states, lawmakers eventually punted on setting up a regulated adult-use market, deferring any major decisions — aside from the very question of legalization — until 2023. Meanwhile,…
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After Speedy Deliberation, Jury Finds Jonathan Wall Guilty Of Weed Trafficking Conspiracy
After a five-day trial, a jury on Friday found Maryland native Jonathan Wall guilty of partaking in a years-long, coast-to-coast cannabis trafficking scheme. Wall’s trial, which kicked off Monday with protests and a blaring billboard truck outside the federal courthouse in downtown Baltimore, culminated Friday with closing arguments, less than two hours of jury deliberations…
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Jonathan Wall Cannabis Trial Kicks Off With A Protest, Strict Courthouse Rules And Jury Selection
A high-profile federal cannabis trafficking trial kicked off on Monday with jury selection, strict rules for spectators and an eye-catching scene outside the Edward A. Garmatz United States Courthouse in downtown Baltimore. Jonathan William Wall, a 27-year-old Maryland native, is facing at least 10 years in prison for helping to move thousands of pounds of…
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Jonathan Wall Case: Judge Bans All Legalization Arguments From Upcoming Weed Trafficking Trial
When Jonathan Wall’s federal cannabis-trafficking trial begins next week in Baltimore, there will be no discussion of the fact that cannabis is now legal in 18 states and counting. That’s the order from U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, who on Tuesday approved a pretrial motion by prosecutors calling for the court to bar any discussion…
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The Federal Cannabis Trial You Should Be Watching In Maryland
Maybe you saw the ad in The Washington Post: “Who will be the last person incarcerated for marijuana in the United States?” Or you heard about the man from one of the many publications that have highlighted his detention. Jonathan William Wall is a Maryland native whose federal cannabis distribution indictment and upcoming court trial…
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Maryland Approves Bill Expanding Psychedelics Research, Access For Veterans with PTSD
Maryland lawmakers spent their final few days in session moving through a flood of bills in the State House, and one of the measures they sent to the governor’s desk was a first-of-its-kind proposal to support psychedelic drug treatment and access for veterans. Senate Bill 709, passed unanimously by the Maryland Senate on Friday, seeks…
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Maryland: Cannabis Legalization Heads To The Ballot In November
Maryland voters will get to vote on cannabis legalization in the upcoming general election this fall after a pair of decisive votes by the House of Delegates late last week. After months of public testimony on numerous legalization bills, as well as debate and behind-the-scenes negotiations among Democratic leaders in the General Assembly, the House…
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Maryland Lawmakers Drop Proposed Restrictions on Delta-8 Products, Call for Study
Maryland lawmakers are walking back legislation to more tightly regulate Delta-8 THC products statewide after a flood of pushback from the local hemp industry. Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery County) and Del. Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties) in February filed bills that would have restricted who can grow hemp and sell hemp-derived…
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Maryland House Advances Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bills
Maryland’s House of Delegates on Wednesday advanced a pair of landmark bills that would pave the way for adult-use cannabis legalization. The first bill, HB 1, would put the question of legalization up to voters on the November ballot. The other, HB 837, provides a framework to legalize possession of up to 1.5 ounces, growing…