Category: Outlaw Report
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The Year in Cannabis: Maryland
Even before COVID-19 slowed Maryland politics down and ultimately shortened the 2020 legislative session, it did not appear to be a year where major cannabis reform was going to happen. Maryland’s Marijuana Legalization Workgroup had already announced it would not be recommending cannabis legalization, citing among many reasons, concerns about racial equity which have dogged…
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The Year in Cannabis: Washington D.C.
The year in cannabis in Washington D.C. was one of incremental change with a number of policies and initiatives put forth that will likely lead to major reforms later on. It was appropriate for 2020, a year in which due to COVID-19 and widespread mismanagement of the pandemic, the District was in emergency mode much…
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Quick Hit: A Billion Bucks Worth of Legal Weed in Illinois
The state of Illinois seems to be doing legal cannabis correctly. When Illinois legalized cannabis, the state introduced a number of racial equity provisions that would begin to undo some of the harm caused by the racist war on drugs—focusing on expungements and pardons for low-level cannabis offenses and providing those in the state with…
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Andy Harris Co-Sponsored Medical Marijuana Research Act Passes The House
Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Medical Marijuana Research Act, a bill that will make it much easier for researchers to study cannabis and receive medical-grade cannabis from state growers (along with federal growers which is currently accepted). Along with allowing researchers to study cannabis through state programs, the Medical Marijuana Research Act…
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Beyoncé Gives $10,000 to Black-owned MD Cannabis Company
Beyoncé’s foundation BeyGood and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) have given a Maryland-based cannabis company a grant for $10,000. The BeyGood/NAACP grants specifically support Black-owned businesses affected by COVID-19 and The Gift, a cannabis company operating out of Beltsville, Maryland were one of the grantees. In a press release, The…
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Virginia Considers Cannabis Legalization, Reckons With Racial Inequity
2020 was a banner year for cannabis reform in Virginia, with the Commonwealth finally launching its medicinal cannabis program, decriminalizing cannabis possession up to an ounce, making it so that police can no longer search Virginians’ vehicles based on cannabis smell alone, and Governor Ralph Northam announcing that he is—finally—taking legalization seriously. A major part…
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Quick Hit: There’s a New Cannabinoid—Sesqui CBG
Scientists have announced that they have “discovered” a new class of Cannabinoids—Sesqui-Cannabinoids. In a press release put out by Medican on Thursday, December 10, the pharmaceutical company announced there is a patent-pending on the process to biosynthesize this new class of Cannabinoid they’ve called Sesqui CBG. “This is a significant new discovery. We are the…
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Episode 12: The MORE Act Passes the House!
In this episode of The Outlaw Report podcast, Scott is joined by Mike Liszewski, friend of the show and inside expert on Capitol Hill on cannabis law and policy and drug policy reform more broadly. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to deschedule cannabis and end federal cannabis prohibition as we know it.…
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Third Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary Opens in Virginia
Virginia’s third medicinal cannabis dispensary, Beyond/Hello, opened its doors on December 1 in Manassas. The 93,000 square foot warehouse is located off Highway 66 and about half a mile from the George Mason University science campus. Beyond/Hello was one of five dispensaries, or “pharmaceutical processors”, selected out of 51 applicants by the Virginia Board of…
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The MORE Act Passes The House
The House of Representatives finally voted to end federal prohibition of cannabis on Friday, December 4. After multiple delays, the highly anticipated and historic vote for the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act fell mainly along party lines, 228-164. Five Republicans crossed party lines to vote for the MORE Act, including the lone Republican…
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Sinclair-Connected Curio Wellness Establishes Investment Fund To Increase Diversity
Curio Wellness, which has faced criticism over the past two years due to the cannabis company’s connections to right-wing Sinclair Broadcasting, and for filing a lawsuit challenging a state law encouraging diversity in the cannabis industry, has announced a funding program to support minority, medicinal cannabis business entrepreneurs. Curio Wellness announced on December 1 that…
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Quick Hit: House To Vote On Cannabis Research Bill This Week
Following the highly-publicized MORE Act vote, the House of Representatives will vote on another cannabis bill this week. This one, the Medical Marijuana Research Act, sponsored by Earl Blumenauer and noted cannabis reform enemy Andy Harris, will reduce the regulations that exist making it easier to get approved to research cannabis and increase the supply…