Category: Criminal Justice
-
In Loudoun County, Critical Race Theory Panics, Kvetching About Cannabis Legalization
Virginia’s Loudoun County made the news last month after an outrageous response from locals at a school board meeting. You likely saw the video or photos of adults losing their minds, screaming in opposition to policies that would protect trans rights and to what they’ve taken to calling “critical race theory” which has been turned…
-
Virginia Cannabis Advocates Will Hand Out 10,000 Pot Seeds To Celebrate Legalization And Promote Homegrow
Cannabis legalization goes into effect tomorrow in Virginia and—as the saying goes—good seed makes a good crop. Advocates are getting ready to hand out 10,000 cannabis seeds on Thursday, July 1 to celebrate the first day of legal pot in the commonwealth. Organized by Virginia Marijuana Justice (VAMJ), “The Great Commonwealth Cannabis Seed Share” hopes…
-
Montgomery County Residents Describe Cannabis-Related Racial Profiling by Police
Montgomery County is heralded as one of Maryland’s more diverse counties in the state—it is also one of the top twenty richest counties by median income in the United States—but when the Montgomery County Police Advisory Commission held a public forum at their meeting on June 14, residents of color found themselves telling different versions…
-
Virginia Police Report Shows Large Drop In Cannabis Arrests For 2020, But Omits Breakdown By Race
Roughly one year after Virginia decriminalized cannabis, pot arrests have almost been slashed in half in the commonwealth, according to an annual crime report released last week by state police. Cannabis arrests dropped by about 48% in 2020, decreasing to 13,640 incidents from 26,470 the previous year, the report shows. Arrests had peaked at nearly…
-
Maryland Cannabis Companies Face Exorbitant Fees To Access Banking Services
If you’ve ever used a debit card at a Maryland dispensary, it’s more than likely that the company has a bank account opened with one of the three banks in Maryland that services the cannabis industry: Severn Bank, Bulldog Federal Credit Union, or the newest addition—CFG Bank. Out of more than 80 different banks in…
-
Virginia Watchdog Suggests Adding Misdemeanor Penalties For Cannabis. Advocates Say It’s a Bad Idea.
A Virginia government watchdog is recommending significant changes to the state’s cannabis laws just weeks before possession is set to become legal, and as regulators prepare for the launch of recreational sales in 2024. In a report published last week, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), a state-funded group that keeps tabs on…
-
Virginia Governor’s Race Offers Two Drastically Different Visions For Legalizing Cannabis
Terry McAuliffe cruised to the Democratic nomination for Virginia governor on Tuesday, setting the stage for what could be a close race between the former governor and Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin, a businessman with no prior political experience. Polls show McAuliffe, an establishment candidate who is running for his old job—he was governor of Virginia…
-
D.C. Public Schools Starts Screening Staff And Volunteers For Cannabis
As part of new hiring protocols, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) will now test all current and prospective employees for cannabis, including program partners, contractors, and even volunteers. The new policy, first reported by Washington City Paper, adds to an already substantive security clearance process required to work for DCPS that involves a background check, fingerprinting,…
-
Amid Massive Hiring Spree, Amazon Scraps Cannabis Screenings For Job Seekers
Amazon says it will no longer test job applicants for cannabis, though it will continue to perform random drug screenings for employees who are on the job. The policy reversal was announced on Tuesday by Dave Clark, Amazon’s CEO of consumer business, in a blog post on the company’s website. “In the past, like many…
-
Despite D.C. Legalization Push, Police Raids Persist For Unlicensed Cannabis Shops
While D.C. lawmakers forge ahead with efforts to legalize recreational cannabis sales, police in the nation’s capital continue to crack down on businesses that use a “gifting” loophole to sell cannabis in the District. Last week, more than a dozen police officers descended on a storefront called House of Herbs in D.C.’s Park View neighborhood,…
-
Virginia’s King George County Wants To Keep Cannabis Illegal
As Virginia rushes towards its expedited July 1, 2021 date for cannabis legalization, resulting in a number of cannabis-related companies rapidly entering the industry—even as it leaves those incarcerated for cannabis behind—at least one county is trying to figure out how to keep cannabis illegal. King George County officials have asked the county’s attorney to…
-
D.C. Temporarily Reverses Ban On Former Felons In Cannabis Industry
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed emergency legislation last week that allows people with non-violent felony records to own—or work at—a licensed medical cannabis dispensary, cultivation center, or testing lab. The new law, enacted on May 3, nixes a previous statute that prohibited anyone with a felony record from participating in D.C.’s medical cannabis industry. However,…