Category: Outlaw Report
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Quick Hit: Can Kamala Harris Convince a Legalization-Averse Biden?
You likely tuned into Sunday night’s episode of 60 Minutes to see President Donald Trump snipe and grumble at reporter Lesley Stahl and ultimately, get up and leave early because he claimed the questions were “unfair.” We have seen this all before with our man child of a president. What viewers might have also caught…
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Virginians Can Finally Purchase Medicinal Cannabis in a Dispensary
2020 has been a banner year for cannabis reform in Virginia, even as nearby Maryland has stalled numerous modest cannabis reforms such as increasing the decriminalization threshold often blaming the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Last week, Virginia opened its first medicinal cannabis dispensary and Virginia’s special legislative session which was framed as a response to cannabis’…
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D.C. Cannabis Industry Optimistic About ABRA’s New Role In Regulation Oversight
Stakeholders in the D.C. cannabis industry are optimistic about the recent change of regulatory oversight from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA). ABRA assumed the responsibility of cannabis industry from DOH on October 1. Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn, owner of Takoma Wellness, the first dispensary that opened in the District,…
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Quick Hit: Dispensaries and Their Effect on Crime, Explored
The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) recently released a memo titled, “Medical Marijuana Dispensaries and Their Effect on Crime” which explored the claims “that medical marijuana dispensaries will lead to increased crime rates in surrounding areas.” What the report shows is that dispensaries do not correlate with increases in crime: “These studies suggest that dispensaries are…
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Ocean City, MD Councilperson Proposes Council ‘Attack Pot’
During a Ocean City Council meeting last week that was ostensibly about expanding the city’s police force by funding 10 additional full-time officers, the council took some time to figure out how they can curtail cannabis use on the boardwalk and beach. In Maryland, cannabis is decriminalized up to 10 grams which is punishable only…
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D.C. Bill Would Allow Formerly Incarcerated To Enter The Medicinal Cannabis Industry
Last week, The Returning Citizens Cannabis Equity Amendment Act of 2020 (B23-0974) was introduced by councilmembers David Grosso (At-Large), Vincent Gray (Ward 7), Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1), and Trayon White (Ward 8). The bill intends to allow those who were incarcerated and are now out of prison the ability to work in the medicinal cannabis…
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Virginia Bills Preventing Cannabis Smell As A Justification for Vehicle Search Go To Governor
Both Virginia’s House and Senate have passed bills that prevent law enforcement from using the smell of cannabis to search Virginians’ vehicles. House Bill 5058 and Senate Bill 5029 now go to Virginia governor Ralph Northam to sign. Cops continue to use the smell of cannabis—as well as false claims by police that they smell…
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Episode 08: Outdoor Grows, Racial Woes, and Congressional Nos
In the latest episode of The Outlaw Report podcast, host Scott Cecil talks to Outlaw Report writers Brandon Soderberg and for the first time, newcomer to the site Shabnam Danesh. The three discuss the latest developments (or lack thereof) pertaining to the MORE Act, Shabnam’s fascinating article about the environmental benefits to outdoor cannabis growing,…
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D.C. Loosens Medicinal Cannabis Delivery Restrictions As Covid-19 Concerns Continue
Back in April, Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Health (DOH) announced that they would allow medicinal dispensaries in the District to deliver cannabis to patients for the first time. This was in response to Covid-19, in which it was imperative that in-person interaction was limited especially among the most vulnerable. Now,…
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Maryland Police Reform Workgroup Votes Loosen Cannabis-Use Restrictions For Cops
Maryland’s House Workgroup to Address Police Reform and Accountability, established after the police killing of George Floyd, voted on a number of measures last week including one that would not disqualify people who have used cannabis in the past from applying to be police officers. This was one of the 11 initial measures the workgroup…
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Quick Hit: West Virginia Approves Its First Ten Medicinal Cannabis Dispensaries
While the agency in charge Washington D.C.’s medicinal cannabis program has changed, Maryland’s medicinal cannabis program continues to reckon with a lack of racial equity, and Virginia’s program is just getting started, nearby West Virginia has approved its first 10 medicinal cannabis cultivators: Armory Pharmaceutical of Maryland; Blue Ridge Botanicals of Texas; Buckhannon Grow of…
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Cannabis Activists Point to Outdoor Farming To Combat Climate Change
The enormous amount of electricity used to power cannabis warehouses is contributing to climate change, and activists say holistic farming methods are the solution. Adam Eidinger of D.C. Marijuana Justice (DCMJ), who helped spearhead Initiative 71 which legalized cannabis in D.C. in 2014, said the warehouses used to grow cannabis are ineffective and damaging the…