Category: Criminal Justice
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At Hearing, Maryland Law Enforcement Divided On Decriminalization Threshold Increase
A hearing last week for House Bill 550 brought out police and prosecutors for and against the bill, which would increase the decriminalization threshold for cannabis and prevent possession of an ounce as the sole reason to charge someone with intent to distribute. While statements from HB 550 sponsor Delegate Nick Mosby and representatives from…
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Trump Targets Medicinal Cannabis, Proposes Death Penalty for Drug Dealers
President Donald Trump began last week by suggesting the United States use the death penalty for people who use and deal drugs and proposing the removal of federal protections to states running medicinal cannabis programs. And that was all before we learned that former Trump advisor Roger Stone would have his prison sentencing recommendation reduced…
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Virginia Likely to Become 27th State to Decriminalize Cannabis
Virginia is poised to decriminalize cannabis this year after the Senate and House approved legislation that is set on eliminating jail time for simple cannabis possession. Last week, the Virginia Senate approved Sen. Adam Ebbin’s SB 2, which would reduce the punishment of simple cannabis possession to a $50 civil penalty or five hours of…
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House Bill 550 Wants to Increase Maryland Decriminalization Threshold
If legalization of cannabis for adult-use is ostensibly off the table in Maryland during the 2020 legislative session, then a House Bill sponsored by Delegate Nick Mosby will still lead to some incremental change: HB 550 increases the amount of cannabis categorized as a civil offense from 10 grams to one ounce and makes it…
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Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition’s 2020 Goals—a Rundown
Last week, the Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition offered up its “consensus policy goals” for the 2020 legislative session, according to Luke Jones of The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Maryland (NORML), one of more than two dozen groups that make up the coalition. Those bills are House Bill 550, which would increase…
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Scenes From a Baltimore Cannabis Charge Expungement Clinic
Traffic stop, traffic stop, traffic stop—most of the people The Outlaw Report spoke to at an expungement clinic in West Baltimore last week explained how their weed charge began when they were pulled over by police and often, for something other than weed—broken tail light, speeding, no seatbelt, even “fit a description.” “K” is one…
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Cannabis Decriminalization in Virginia Likely Due to Several Bills
The future of Virginia cannabis reform will depend on the success of several bills currently being considered by the General Assembly. Currently, Democrats control both chambers of the General Assembly as well as the governor’s office, so the possibility of decriminalization looks hopeful. In a press release, Governor Ralph Northam said, “All Virginians deserve access…
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David Grosso Wants D.C. to ‘Go Deeper’ with Cannabis Reform
While Washington D.C. Councilmember David Grosso is not planning on running for reelection, he still has high hopes for the future of the District. Expungement of cannabis-related records and a tax-and-regulate cannabis system are just a few of his plans, though he’s not alone. Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced the Safe Cannabis Sales Act in 2019,…
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NORML Gives Maryland Governor a ‘C’ and Virginia Governor a ‘B+’
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) released its 2020 Gubernatorial Scorecard last week. The cannabis advocacy nonprofit reviews the governor of each state each year based on their voting records and public comments on cannabis and gives them a letter grade. This year, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan received a ‘C’ and…
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How Virginia’s Cannabis Industry Changed in 2019
This article is part of a three-part series that summarizes notable moments in cannabis from 2019 for Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Support For Legalization Becoming More Common in the Commonwealth A survey published in September 2019 shows that an increasing number of those who live in the state of Virginia are supportive of cannabis…