Category: Outlaw Report
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D.C. Councilmember Withdraws Bill Prioritizing Formerly Incarcerated Entrepreneurs In Cannabis Industry
During a marathon legislative session of the D.C. Council on Tuesday, May 4, Councilmember-At-Large Robert White withdrew a bill that gave people formerly incarcerated for drug offenses a leg-up to participate in the District’s growing medical cannabis industry. The emergency legislation required the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration(ABRA), which regulates D.C.’s medical cannabis program, to reserve…
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District Hemp Owner Talks CBD in D.C. Amid COVID and People and Pets’ Needs
Last week’s episode of The Outlaw Report podcast was a conversation with Barbara Biddle, the owner of District Hemp Botanicals, located in the DuPont Circle neighborhood of Washington D.C. Biddle also owns two other hemp CBD boutiques in Virginia. We discussed the hemp industry in D.C., and how her business has been affected by the…
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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…
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Maryland Cannabis Industry Grew By 40 Percent in 2020
2020 was a catastrophic year for many (if not most) businesses in the U.S. but not for cannabis. The national cannabis industry was able to not only sustain—but significantly increase—sales nationwide amid a global pandemic, Maryland included. Between April 2020 and April 2021, Maryland’s medical cannabis dispensaries sold $500 million worth of cannabis. Monthly sales…
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After Daughter Suffers Major Seizure, Advocate Urges D.C. To Ramp Up Medical Cannabis Testing
D.C. residents testified on Wednesday Apr. 28 at a hearing by the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) on new rules that ease restrictions on the medical cannabis industry amid the coronavirus pandemic. The new regulations, unanimously approved by ABRA’s board in March, lift a cap on the number of plants cultivators can grow. They also…
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Virginia Cop Involved in Violent Arrest on 4/20 No Longer a Cop
Virginia State Trooper Charles Hewitt, who was involved in the violent arrest of a Black man named Derrick Thompson on Apr. 20, 2019 is no longer with the Virginia State Police. This incident first went public in July of last year when Thompson’s lawyer, Joshua Erlich released video of the arrest recorded on Thompson’s cell…
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The Outlaw Report Podcast: District Hemp
After reviewing the top headlines, The Outlaw Report podcast host Scott Cecil is joined by Barbara Bittle, the founder and owner of District Hemp, a hemp & CBD boutique in the Dupont neighborhood of DC. Barb shares with Scott some of the challenges facing the local hemp industry during the Covid-19 pandemic even as a…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The Outlaw Report Podcast: Happy 420!
For this special 420 episode, The Outlaw Report’s Scott Cecil is joined by Meredith Kinner and John MCGowan of Kinner & McGowan, the sponsoring organization of the podcast. Scott, Meredith, and John share some exciting news about upcoming advocacy efforts in DC and the new Cannabis Industry Guide published by Outlawreport.com. We will back with…