Category: Outlaw Report
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The Outlaw Report Podcast: Grassroots Goldman and the Garden State
After covering the top stories from the website this week, The Outlaw Report podcast host Scott Cecil is joined by Dan Grassroots Goldman to talk about the new legalization law in New Jersey, why it took so long, and what that might mean for DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Scott and Dan also predict what is…
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D.C. Council Chairman Mendelson Releases Comprehensive Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Act of 2021
There are now dueling bills to establish a regulated cannabis market in Washington D.C. On Friday, Feb. 26, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released The Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021 and on Monday, Mar. 1, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and councilmembers Charles Allen, Mary Cheh, Christina Henderson, Kenyan McDuffie, Brianne Nadeau, and Brooke Pinto…
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A First Look At Washington D.C.’s Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021
On Friday Feb. 26, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser sent the Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021 to D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and the rest of the council. The Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021 would allow commercial, regulated cannabis sales in D.C.—something that has eluded D.C. since 2014 when voters legalized cannabis. Back…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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Website Launch Causes Massive Delays for Maryland’s Medical Cannabis Patients & Physicians
Last Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) migrated their website to Maryland’s statewide licensing portal, One Stop, causing technical interruptions which prevented many medical cannabis patients from purchasing their medication. When dispensaries opened Tuesday morning, the website they typically use to check a patient’s identification, photo, doctor’s information and most importantly—their monthly…
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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…
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Advocates Call for Racial Equity Amendments to Virginia Cannabis Bills
Virginia’s House and Senate cannabis legalization bills have succeeded in their chambers and advanced to a special session that began Feb. 10. On Feb. 9, 25 advocacy groups led by the Virginia ACLU and Marijuana Justice wrote to Governor Ralph Northam and the legislature asking them to better center racial justice in their legislation. Other…
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Bipartisan Bill From Congress Would Legalize CBD Supplements
Earlier this month, United States Representatives Kurt Schrader, a Democrat from Oregon, and Morgan Griffith, a Republican from Virginia, introduced HR 841 or the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act to the House. HR 841 would, the bill says, “make hemp, cannabidiol derived from hemp, and any other ingredient derived from…
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Maryland Bill Requires Workers’ Comp to Cover Medical Cannabis Like Opioids
Maryland lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow worker’s compensation to cover the cost of medical cannabis in order to provide an alternative to prescription opioid use for pain resulting from a work-related injury. Because medical cannabis is not currently covered by worker’s compensation in Maryland, those struggling with work-related injuries are instead prescribed opioids…
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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…