Category: Newsletter

Plus an unlicensed D.C. storefront gets permanently shuttered, $60M in institutional capital enters cannabis lending, Medicare patients can now get free CBD, and a veterans advocate calls the House VA vote ‘policy theater’

Level Up case includes a $3,000 fine with a $10,000 penalty for future violations; federal court upholds Maryland’s authority to regulate intoxicating hemp products; and FBI agents executed search warrants on a Virginia Senate leader’s office and hemp-THC business.

D.C. regulators approved a settlement requiring West2East/Blossomz to pay a $10,000 fine, remain under closure, and sell its cultivation license within 90 days following its February shutdown, while broader regional updates include a major new cannabis consumption lounge opening in the District, continued uncertainty over Virginia’s stalled adult-use rollout, and Maryland expanding off-duty medical cannabis…

D.C. self-certification rules clash with new federal requirements as Maryland regulators say state law holds—while both markets await guidance that could reshape patient access and compliance rules.

Green Grow alleges failed $1.6M buildout, D.C. board meets April 22, Virginia regulators face rollout pressure, and Maryland posts $27.6M in cannabis tax revenue

D.C. is seeking dismissal of a cannabis licensing challenge by citing a Ninth Circuit decision upholding state residency requirements and limiting dormant Commerce Clause claims due to federal illegality of marijuana, while Virginia advances psilocybin and impaired-driving policy changes amid regulatory uncertainty, and Baltimore’s $35M cannabis reparations fund remains tied up in governance disputes without…

This week’s cannabis policy roundup covers major developments across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond, including D.C.’s closure of three unlicensed cannabis businesses and Mayor Bowser’s proposal to allow cannabis-infused beverages through brewery partnerships. The edition also highlights rising medical cannabis prices and regulatory hiring in Virginia, new worker protections in Maryland, and key national updates ranging…

D.C. cannabis board finalizes $3,000 settlement and permanent closure of Flowerz The D.C. Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board has finalized a settlement with Flowerz, LLC, closing its Massachusetts Ave NE location through an Offer-in-Compromise. The agreement includes a $3,000 fine, confirmation of permanent vacating of the premises, and strict restrictions on future cannabis-related use of…

D.C. court combines briefing for 8 ALCE cannabis lawsuits D.C. courts have consolidated briefing for eight ALCE lawsuits targeting unlicensed cannabis retailers and the landlords who lease to them. The move allows a single motion to dismiss to address common legal issues, streamlining the early stages of litigation without merging the cases for trial. D.C.…

Blossomz, a licensed medical cannabis cultivator in D.C., was closed by ABCA and MPD, marking the first enforcement against an operational grower since the city’s market expansion began in 2023. Meanwhile, Virginia lawmakers are advancing legislation to establish a statewide legal cannabis retail market, potentially enabling adult-use sales later this year, though critics warn ABC…