Category: Federal
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Congress To Vote On Bill Protecting States With Legal Cannabis; Democrats Reject Legalization As Part of 2020 Platform
This week, Congress is expected to vote on an amendment that would prevent interference from the federal government in states where cannabis is legal. Referred to as the Blumenauer-McClintock-Norton Amendment, after Earl Blumenauer (founding member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus), Tom McClintock, and Eleanor Holmes Norton, the amendment expands the protections already given to states…
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Quick Hit: If You Care About Racial Equity and Cannabis Put ‘Pleasure Activism’ On Your Reading List
Following the police killing of George Floyd and the nationwide uprising against police violence that still continues (even if the media’s gaze at protesters across the country is not quite where it was a few weeks ago), many people—mostly white people—felt more than a little lost. To understand the extent of the problems with American…
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Quick Hit: Learn About Weed and Vaping…From the DEA
Last month, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a whole bunch of drug fact sheets, detailing the basics of a number of drugs from A to Z or close enough to A to Z—more like from amphetamines to U-47700. The fact sheets are part of the DEA’s Get Smart About Drugs (GSAD) program, focused on…
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Amendment Would Allow Former Military To Reenlist Even If They Have Used Cannabis
Last week, Democratic Representative from Arizona Ruben Gallego’s amendment to the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed. If approved by both the House and Senate, it would allow people who had formerly enlisted in the military to reenlist if they admit they used cannabis while they were not enlisted. The amendment also applies to…
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Embattled Cannabis Company MedMen Loses Its License In Virginia
California-based cannabis behemoths MedMen is teetering on the edge right now. What was not too long ago the largest and most valued cannabis company in the world, has been amid a public relations nightmare for months now and was recently kicked out of burgeoning medicinal cannabis state, Virginia. Earlier this month, the Virginia Board of…
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The Outlaw Report Podcast Episode 03: Cannabis and Defunding The Police
In the third episode of The Outlaw Report podcast, Prohibited podcast founder Scott Cecil talks to reporter Brandon Soderberg about racial justice and cannabis amid nationwide protests against police violence following the police killing of George Floyd. Cecil and Soderberg discussed Washington D.C.’s proposed budget and its perceived workaround for facilitating a commercial cannabis industry…
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Cannabis Reform And The Justice In Policing Act
Last week, in response to the ongoing uprisings against police violence, Democrats in Congress introduced The Justice In Policing Act. The police reform legislation intends to end racial profiling by police, bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, reduces police use of military equipment, and pushes for greater transparency among police departments making it easier for more…
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Concerned About Racial Equity In The Cannabis Industry? Consult The Accountability List
Cannaclusive, a website advocating for black representation in the legalized cannabis industry recently released The Accountability List. Posted as a Google doc and therefore “a living document,” The Accountability List gathers cannabis and hemp companies and details whether or not they are black-owned, the number of black people employed, and the company’s comments (or lack…
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DEA Has Trump’s Permission To Surveil Protesters: What Does That Mean When Cannabis Remains Federally Illegal?
As first revealed by Buzzfeed, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been given additional policing powers under the Trump administration to surveil protesters. Generally, the DEA can only enforce drug-related crimes but this temporary adjustment means that the DEA’s resources and surveillance network can be used towards those marching in protest of the police killing…
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‘Cannabis’ 68 Times: Debunking a Republican Talking Point
Earlier this month, the expansive COVID-19 relief bill, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (or The HEROES Act) was approved by the House Of Representatives. For those in the cannabis industry, the HEROES Act was especially welcome because it included The Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (or The SAFE Banking Act)…
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COVID-19 Relief Bill Passed By House Allows Cannabis Banking
The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (or HEROES Act), the latest legislation to provide economic support during the COVID-19 pandemic, was approved by the House of Representatives last week. It provides $3 trillion for COVID-19 relief and includes local and state government funding in the billions, extended unemployment benefits, assistance for farmers…
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The Outlaw Report Podcast Episode 02: Cannabis in the DMV During COVID-19
In the second episode of The Outlaw Report podcast, Prohibited podcast founder Scott Cecil talks to reporter Brandon Soderberg about how Maryland, Washington DC, and Virgina are dealing with cannabis during COVID-19. They discuss responses to cannabis laws by police during the pandemic and how the medicinal cannabis industry in Maryland and DC are dealing…