Category: Politics
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How A Group Of D.C. Weed Activists Ended Up On A Relief Mission To Ukraine
Adam Eidinger’s activism has taken on many forms over the years. At home in D.C., he’s best known as the Phrygian-cap wearing, 51-foot-joint carrying local who in 2014 successfully spearheaded I-71, a historic ballot initiative that legalized the use of recreational weed in the District. But Eidinger has never stopped at just pot proselytism. He’s…
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D.C. Council Advances Bill Banning Cannabis Testing For Most Jobs
The D.C. Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to advance a bill barring most employers from testing job applicants for cannabis, except when hiring for positions that require an extra degree of safety. The measure, introduced last year by Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, was approved by all 13 members of the council’s Committee of the…
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Maryland Approves Bill Expanding Psychedelics Research, Access For Veterans with PTSD
Maryland lawmakers spent their final few days in session moving through a flood of bills in the State House, and one of the measures they sent to the governor’s desk was a first-of-its-kind proposal to support psychedelic drug treatment and access for veterans. Senate Bill 709, passed unanimously by the Maryland Senate on Friday, seeks…
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D.C. Council Narrowly Rejects Bill To Shut Down Cannabis Gifting Economy
The D.C. Council on Tuesday voted down an emergency measure to ramp up enforcement against the District’s many unregulated cannabis businesses – storefronts and delivery services that “gift” weed with the purchase of other goods, like t-shirts and potted plants. The bill, introduced late last week by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, would have granted D.C.’s…
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Maryland: Cannabis Legalization Heads To The Ballot In November
Maryland voters will get to vote on cannabis legalization in the upcoming general election this fall after a pair of decisive votes by the House of Delegates late last week. After months of public testimony on numerous legalization bills, as well as debate and behind-the-scenes negotiations among Democratic leaders in the General Assembly, the House…
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How Did The Push For Legal Weed In Virginia Go So Wrong?
This time last year, Virginia Democrats were sky high. While holding the executive and legislative branches, Democrats managed to legalize possession of marijuana in the Commonwealth while becoming the first southern state to do so. Better yet, legalization was imminent, set to be the law of the land by July 1 as an effort to…
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Once Again, Congress Tries To Stop D.C. From Legalizing Weed
A federal spending bill circulated Wednesday morning contains a clause that would ban D.C. from regulating a recreational cannabis market and collecting taxes from it, attempting to foil – yet another time – the District’s desire to legalize weed. The clause, known as the Harris Rider after Rep. Andy Harris (R-Maryland) first introduced it in…
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Maryland Lawmakers Drop Proposed Restrictions on Delta-8 Products, Call for Study
Maryland lawmakers are walking back legislation to more tightly regulate Delta-8 THC products statewide after a flood of pushback from the local hemp industry. Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery County) and Del. Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties) in February filed bills that would have restricted who can grow hemp and sell hemp-derived…
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Your Cheat Sheet to the Weed Bills Circulating Maryland’s State Senate
The Maryland legislature’s Senate Finance Committee will meet on March 3 to decide whether a series of cannabis-related bills, including two proposing outright legalization, will continue on to the Senate floor for further consideration. The weed-centered hearing includes two adult-use legalization bills, an emergency restriction on the sale of Delta-8 THC, a provision to license…
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Vacancy Opens On Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission As Member Resigns To Run For Office
Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission member Jeff Woolford resigned from the regulatory body on Feb. 23, the commission announced on Thursday, after Maryland gubernatorial candidate Kelly Schulz tapped Woolford this week to campaign as her running mate. Woolford has served in a number of capacities in the administration of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, most recently as…
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Maryland House Advances Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bills
Maryland’s House of Delegates on Wednesday advanced a pair of landmark bills that would pave the way for adult-use cannabis legalization. The first bill, HB 1, would put the question of legalization up to voters on the November ballot. The other, HB 837, provides a framework to legalize possession of up to 1.5 ounces, growing…