Category: Criminal Justice
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D.C. Mayor Won’t Approve Psychedelics Decriminalization Even If Voters Support It
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she is not in favor of moving forward with the initiative that would decriminalize psychoactive drugs such as psilocybin, ayahuasca and other “natural plant medicines” even if voters approve of it on Election Day. “It seems like the issue is not an organically D.C-created initiative,” Bowser said at a…
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‘Tainted’ Cannabis Scare in Virginia Makes The Case For Legalization
Last week, Alexandria, Virginia officials put out a warning to citizens about the possibility of cannabis that, they wrote, “may be mixed with unusual substances.” The warning was put out after there were what officials characterized as four “overdoses”—including one fatal overdose—that it would seem, cannabis was involved. The three people who suffered non-fatal overdoses…
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Virginia Cannabis Smell Bills Amended; Dropped Weed Charges More Likely Thanks to Northam
Two bills considered by Virginia governor Ralph Northam last week will help protect people who use cannabis from prosecution by preventing police from searching a vehicle based on weed smell alone and preventing judges from overruling the wishes of prosecutors and defense attorneys when both sides agree a charge should be dismissed. The Outlaw Report…
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Quick Hit: Can Kamala Harris Convince a Legalization-Averse Biden?
You likely tuned into Sunday night’s episode of 60 Minutes to see President Donald Trump snipe and grumble at reporter Lesley Stahl and ultimately, get up and leave early because he claimed the questions were “unfair.” We have seen this all before with our man child of a president. What viewers might have also caught…
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Virginians Can Finally Purchase Medicinal Cannabis in a Dispensary
2020 has been a banner year for cannabis reform in Virginia, even as nearby Maryland has stalled numerous modest cannabis reforms such as increasing the decriminalization threshold often blaming the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Last week, Virginia opened its first medicinal cannabis dispensary and Virginia’s special legislative session which was framed as a response to cannabis’…
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Ocean City, MD Councilperson Proposes Council ‘Attack Pot’
During a Ocean City Council meeting last week that was ostensibly about expanding the city’s police force by funding 10 additional full-time officers, the council took some time to figure out how they can curtail cannabis use on the boardwalk and beach. In Maryland, cannabis is decriminalized up to 10 grams which is punishable only…
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D.C. Bill Would Allow Formerly Incarcerated To Enter The Medicinal Cannabis Industry
Last week, The Returning Citizens Cannabis Equity Amendment Act of 2020 (B23-0974) was introduced by councilmembers David Grosso (At-Large), Vincent Gray (Ward 7), Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1), and Trayon White (Ward 8). The bill intends to allow those who were incarcerated and are now out of prison the ability to work in the medicinal cannabis…
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Virginia Bills Preventing Cannabis Smell As A Justification for Vehicle Search Go To Governor
Both Virginia’s House and Senate have passed bills that prevent law enforcement from using the smell of cannabis to search Virginians’ vehicles. House Bill 5058 and Senate Bill 5029 now go to Virginia governor Ralph Northam to sign. Cops continue to use the smell of cannabis—as well as false claims by police that they smell…
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D.C. Loosens Medicinal Cannabis Delivery Restrictions As Covid-19 Concerns Continue
Back in April, Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Health (DOH) announced that they would allow medicinal dispensaries in the District to deliver cannabis to patients for the first time. This was in response to Covid-19, in which it was imperative that in-person interaction was limited especially among the most vulnerable. Now,…
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Maryland Police Reform Workgroup Votes Loosen Cannabis-Use Restrictions For Cops
Maryland’s House Workgroup to Address Police Reform and Accountability, established after the police killing of George Floyd, voted on a number of measures last week including one that would not disqualify people who have used cannabis in the past from applying to be police officers. This was one of the 11 initial measures the workgroup…
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Quick Hit: Meet Mia Mason, the Pro-Cannabis Candidate Going Up Against Andy Harris
Readers of The Outlaw Report know all about Congressman Andy Harrs, anti-cannabis politician to his core. Harris infamously is to blame for Washington D.C. legalizing cannabis but not being able to have a proper commercial cannabis industry and he is also something of a Covid truther and all-around drug reform spoiler sport as his attempts…
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Quick Hit: West Virginia Democratic Candidates’ Normalization of Cannabis Act
At Democrat candidate for West Virginia’s House of Delegates Chris Yeager’s hemp farm in Mason County, West Virginia, fellow House candidate Rusty Williams introduced The Normalization of Cannabis Act and streamed it to Facebook. Williams called The Normalization of Cannabis Act “the first piece of comprehensive cannabis legislation that we intend to introduce should we…