Category: Criminal Justice
-
D.C. Lawmakers Get Green Light to Work On Recreational Cannabis Regulations
Since the D.C. Attorney General gave district lawmakers the green light to work on cannabis regulations for the recreational program passed by residents in 2014, advocates are urging they include reparative measures addressing the historic harm to Black and brown communities caused by racist enforcement of cannabis prohibition. In a report published by the D.C.…
-
Virginia’s Decriminalization Didn’t Fix Racial Inequity in Cannabis Policing
Virginia’s legislature cleared both cannabis legalization bills on Feb. 16, with the Senate passing HB 2312, and the House of Delegates approving SB 1406. From here, representatives will hash out a compromise between the two bills, which still differ on several points, including the date of legalization. In 2020, Virginia decriminalized recreational possession up to…
-
Quick Hit: ‘Crestone,’ a Documentary About Soundcloud Rappers and Weed Growers in Colorado
Last week, Baltimore filmmaker Marnie Ellen Hertzler’s documentary Crestone was made available for streaming. The quasi-documentary made the virtual festival rounds last year and gathered a great deal of deserving buzz and quite a few understandable, “holy shit” responses as well. It tells the story of a group of twentysomethings with a whole lot of…
-
Quick Hit: In Jersey Where Legalization Is Imminent, Cops Keep Making Weed Arrests
According to NJ.com, police in New Jersey have arrested more than 6,000 people for minor cannabis possession since November’s election—an election where 2.7 million New Jersey voters went to the ballots in support of legalizing cannabis. According to a report from the state judiciary, 2,378 people were arrested for cannabis possession of 50 grams or…
-
Psychedelic Reform Movement Goes Federal, Spurred By D.C. Success
Among many changes underway in the nation’s capital, a new nonprofit seeks to increase understanding of and access to natural and synthetic psychedelic medicines at the federal level. The Plant Medicine Coalition (PMC) was co-founded and will be led by local advocate Melissa Lavasani. As chairwoman of Decriminalize Nature D.C., she proposed the successful Ballot…
-
Senate Democrats Announce Plans To Legalize Cannabis
On Monday Feb. 1, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden announced that they would soon be releasing “a draft discussion bill outlining how best to legalize and regulate cannabis and cannabis commerce in a post-prohibition America.” The announcement arrived months after the House voted on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment…