Category: Criminal Justice
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In New York and Baltimore, Elected Officials Embroiled in Scandals Get Behind Drug Reform
New York has legalized cannabis for recreational use. It is a move that makes New York the fifteenth state to legalize and will contribute to undoing decades of racial disparities in cannabis arrests. The legalization law, passed by the Senate and signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Mar. 30, creates a regulated, commercial…
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Mexico’s Path To Cannabis Legalization, Explained
Last week’s episode of The Outlaw Report podcast was a conversation with Elias Lisbona Jassan, an attorney and drug policy reform advocate in Mexico City. He gave listeners a quick history of drug prohibition in Mexico and a deep dive into the current move towards legalization. Since that episode ran, it seems even more likely…
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Psychedelics Decriminalization Initiative Takes Effect in D.C.: Now What?
As Washington D.C. moves closer to launching a regulated commercial cannabis market, plant-based psychedelics are taking a major step toward legal accessibility. On March 15, Initiative 81, a local decriminalization measure that voters supported in 2020, officially took effect. It makes “non-commercial planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, engaging in practices with, and/or possessing entheogenic plants…
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Maryland Must Wait At Least Another Year For Legalization
Last week, on Mar. 18, cannabis legalization advocates showed up in Annapolis with a giant inflatable joint and a plain and simple message: Don’t allow the cannabis legalization bills proposed by the House and Senate to fail. The expiration date for both legalization bills—Senate Bill 708 and House Bill 32—was Mar. 22 and neither passed…
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Maryland Dispensary Robbery Illustrates Dangers of Cash-Only Cannabis
If you have been to a Maryland dispensary, you probably passed through at least three security checkpoints—a locked front door, a front desk check-in, and a locked door to the sales floor. Some dispensaries even hire full time security guards. This is because dispensaries are prone to robberies, not because of the cannabis—but the cash…
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Will Virginia Legalize Pot This Summer? All Eyes on Governor Northam
When Virginia legislators voted to legalize recreational adult cannabis use in February, one of the most debated aspects of the bill was its three-year delay of legalization. This postponement ties the end of prohibition to the launch of the legal market in 2024. Some advocates and representatives have pointed out that this strategy will perpetuate…
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Advocate Weighs in on D.C.’s Dueling Legalization Bills
Over the past few weeks, Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson have both introduced dueling bills allowing for a commercial regulated cannabis market in the District. The bills suggest the commercial cannabis industry that has eluded the District since 2014—when Initiative 71 passed but the Harris Rider prevented regulated adult use—could happen…
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Advocates Push For Cannabis Legalization in Annapolis With a 51-Foot Joint
A 51-foot long inflatable joint with the words “Maryland Pass The Joint!” and the logo of Maryland Marijuana Justice (MDMJ) stamped on the side of it appeared near Annapolis’ State House earlier today, Mar. 18, as part of a protest pushing the cannabis reform-averse legislators in Maryland towards passing a legalization bill. “Some legislators won’t…
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Majority of Maryland Republicans Support Cannabis Legalization, Goucher Poll Finds
Two-thirds of Marylanders support legalizing cannabis for adult-use—including a majority of Republicans—according to a recent Goucher College Poll. 66 percent of Maryland residents support legalizing cannabis for adult-use while 29 percent are in opposition. Support for cannabis legalization among Maryland residents has grown since 2019 when the Goucher Poll found 57 percent of residents supported…
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The Outlaw Report Podcast: Queen’s Gambit
The Outlaw Report podcast host Scott Cecil is joined by Queen Adesuyi, the Policy Manager for the Drug Policy Alliance, the leading drug policy reform advocacy organization in the United States. Queen updates Scott on what’s happening in Congress and when we can expect movement on The MORE Act. Then they turn to D.C. policy…
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How Should Virginia Spend Its Cannabis Profits?
Virginia’s plan for adult recreational cannabis use was approved in February, with a major bill review scheduled for 2022 and legalization set for 2024. When it comes to the use of cannabis taxes, the pro-legalization community is split. Governor Ralph Northam, the mayor of Richmond Levar Stoney, and some other Democrats support using the largest…
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Virginia Lawmakers Vote to Legalize Cannabis in 2024 in Last Minute Compromise
On Feb. 27, in the waning hours of a busy session, the Virginia General Assembly approved legislation to legalize adult recreational cannabis use. After working to resolve differences between two complex bills from Democrats, the legislature accepted a compromise that will allow recreational pot possession when the commercial market launches in 2024. Some advocates criticize…