Category: Criminal Justice
-
Maryland Appeals Court Rules Police Cannot Search Someone Just Because They Smell Cannabis
Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals released a decision last month ruling that the smell of cannabis by itself does not provide reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, making it illegal for police officers to use the smell of cannabis as a legal cause to stop and search an individual. This ruling ties six-year-old loose ends in…
-
Virginians Jailed for Weed Will Stay Locked Up Even After Legalization
While there is much to celebrate in the July 1 legalization of adult cannabis use in Virginia, many argue the new law’s failure to address resentencing is a significant flaw: It does not address those currently incarcerated for cannabis charges. The long, complex bill was approved by the legislature late in the 2021 session, amended…
-
Cannabis in the South: Advocates Talk Racial Justice and Reform Strategies
On 4/20, a Zoom panel about cannabis intersected with the imminent reading of the Derek Chauvin verdict, which highlighted the importance of racial justice in legalizing weed in the South. Five cannabis experts participated in the conversation that ran through the 4:20 hour and purposefully closed just before Judge Peter Cahill read the verdict, announcing…
-
House Democrats Passing The SAFE Banking Act Is Not Enough
Earlier this month, when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hinted that he would be introducing federal cannabis reform legislation, many expected it to be a federal decriminalization bill and most thought it would arrive on or around Apr. 20. Instead, on Apr. 19, the House Of Representatives voted in favor of The Secure and Fair…
-
Maryland General Assembly Failed To Legalize Gun Ownership For Medical Cannabis Users…Again
Federal law currently prohibits cannabis users from purchasing or possessing firearms —regardless of state law and even if they have a medical cannabis card. Maryland requires background checks for all firearm sales…including those through unlicensed retailers, also known as the “gun show” loophole. Because gun retailers are licensed by the ATF—and federal law prohibits cannabis…
-
Statehood Vote Could Unlock Recreational Cannabis Sales In D.C.
Cannabis advocates have their eyes on Congress this week as House lawmakers gear up for a vote on D.C. statehood that could pave the way for the legalization of recreational cannabis sales in the District. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) last week said he planned to bring HR 51, a bill also known as…
-
What I Learned In My Year As A Budtender
I felt somewhat embarrassed that my first job out of college was as a budtender. Not that I wasn’t grateful for such a cool job, but I held a grudge about graduating college into a global pandemic with a degree in journalism that I wouldn’t be using (shocker). I felt I was disappointing my parents…
-
Delaware Cannabis Legalization Opposed By Medicinal Cannabis Companies
Medicinal cannabis companies operating in Delaware are opposing a commercial, adult-use cannabis bill and medicinal cannabis patients and legalization advocates are not happy about it. During a hearing for House Bill 150, which would legalize recreational cannabis and establish commercial industry guidelines, four of Delaware’s six medicinal cannabis companies testified against the bill. Those companies…
-
Schumer Teases New Federal Cannabis Reform Bill, Hinting At Legalization
These days it feels like weed keeps hitting the jackpot. Fresh on the heels of New York legalizing recreational cannabis, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced on Saturday that he was working on new federal cannabis reform legislation. Building on the momentum in his home state, Schumer said he would “soon” introduce a bill…
-
Why Some Maryland Cannabis Users Are Boycotting Culta
The two cannabis legalization bills that were submitted to the Maryland General Assembly will not receive a vote this session, a consequence of a pandemic-packed agenda and lawmakers’ inability to resolve small but crucial differences between the two bills. In an interview with The Outlaw Report, Del. Jazz Lewis, sponsor of the House legalization bill…
-
The Outlaw Report Podcast: Sweet 16—New York & New Mexico Legalize
The Outlaw Report podcast host Scott Cecil is joined by friend of the show and cannabis policy expert on Capitol Hill, Mike Liszewski, to talk about cannabis legalization in New York and New Mexico, the 15th and 16th states, respectively, to legalize cannabis for adult use. They go on to discuss the theoretical prospect of…
-
‘This Is a Win’: Governor Amends Virginia Cannabis Bill for July Legalization
On March 31, in a win for Virginia drug-reform, Governor Ralph Northam proposed an amendment to legalize adult cannabis possession July 1, 2021, instead of 2024. This shift in the timeline was a central goal for the activists and legislators who aim to help Virginia address the racial disparities of its War on Drugs. While…