Author: LJ Dawson
-
April D.C. medical cannabis program sales rise out of slump
D.C.’s medical cannabis program sees sales rise in April, driven by new dispensaries D.C.’s medical cannabis program is showing signs of life after a rough year. Sales in April reached their highest level in nine months, according to a report by the Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA). This upswing is likely due in part…
-
New D.C. existing legal weed biz alliance sends letter to I-71 landlords claiming $600M damages
Over the last week at least five separate landlords for I-71 shops some that choose to transition to D.C.’s licensed market were served a legal letter demanding they compensate existing legal dispensaries for $600 million in financial damages. The letter alleges that in renting to gray market gifting shops, landlords “breached their duty of care…
-
New enforcement records reveal D.C. unlicensed cannabis shop locations
D.C.’s Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) is cracking down on unlicensed cannabis shops. Since gaining new enforcement powers in April, they’ve issued warnings to 38 shops, but that’s just a fraction of the estimated hundreds operating illegally. Newly released records reveal the location of every business that has been warned by ABCA. Most shops…
-
D.C. man convicted of cannabis trafficking involved in failed DRC coup
Benjamin Zalman-Polun, a Maryland resident with a past cannabis conviction, was among three Americans caught in a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the Associated Press. The operation was led by Christian Malanga, a Congolese-American with whom Zalman-Polun appears to have connected through a gold mining company. Zalman-Polun’s background reveals…
-
Newsletter: Bowser budget proposal cuts millions from D.C. cannabis social equity fund
Bowser aims to strip $6.5M from D.C. cannabis social equity fund Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 would strip millions of medical cannabis programs funds for social equity entrepreneurs. Bowser’s April proposal strips half a billion in cuts throughout the city’s budget in an attempt to recover a $700 million budget shortfall…
-
Bowser aims to strip $6.5M from D.C. cannabis social equity fund
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 would strip millions of medical cannabis programs funds for social equity entrepreneurs. Bowser’s April proposal strips half a billion in cuts throughout the city’s budget in an attempt to recover a $700 million budget shortfall this year. Cuts included reductions in emergency rental assistance and child…
-
Biden announces official DOJ move to reschedule cannabis.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden took to X to announce his support of the Department of Justice’s move to reclassify cannabis. “No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,” Biden said on his post. He has previously pardoned thousands for simple cannabis possession charges at the federal level. However, the pardons…
-
Newsletter: D.C. sends 38 warnings out to gray market, Virginia launches system to track kids cannabis exposure
D.C. goes after gray market cannabis shops, over 30 shops warned ABCA, D.C.’s cannabis regulator, has warned over 30 unlicensed retailers in its first step in attempting to smother the gray market so D.C.’s medical cannabis market can be successful. Warnings have been issued for shops on Georgia Ave NW, U Street NW, H St…
-
D.C. goes after gray market cannabis shops, over 30 shops warned
This article was updated on May 14, 2024 to include the total number of enforcements by ABCA. The District of Columbia is unable to set up a recreational medical market due to its lack of statehood, but it’s still trying its best to provide medical cannabis to anyone who self-registers as a patient. But the…
-
New state report breaks down New York’s failed legal cannabis launch
New York’s much-anticipated adult-use cannabis market is facing hurdles, according to a recent report by a task force commissioned by Governor Kathy Hochul. The report sheds light on the challenges plaguing the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the agency tasked with regulating the industry. The report identified a key issue: OCM’s struggle to evolve from…
-
Newsletter: D.C. faces medical cannabis supply issues, DEA issues rescheduling decision
D.C. agency gets more power to go after unlicensed cannabis shops Fred Moosally, the director of ABCA, asked D.C. council members for more power to enforce against unlicensed operators in early March, and new laws signed on April 8, 2024 are his answer. The new emergency rulemaking adopted by his agency a few days after…
-
End of social equity cannabis retail application period in D.C. brings supply questions
The second to final application round for The District of Columbia’s medical cannabis expansion ended Tuesday. Over the last year, The Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration held separate periods for applicants starting with cultivators and manufacturers almost a year ago. The three periods brought in hundreds of applicants that were awarded conditional licenses to spend…