Category: Politics
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Maryland Legislature: Another Weed Legalization Bill In The Works For 2022 Session
Maryland lawmakers will have the burden of choice when it comes to legalizing recreational cannabis this year, with multiple proposals in the works that go beyond a simple referendum. Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery County), vice chair of the state Senate’s powerful Finance Committee, told The Outlaw Report an “informal workgroup” of senators plans to draft…
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Virginia: Youngkin Says Legal Weed Possession Is Here To Stay But Takes Aim At Retail Sales
Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin says he won’t mess with a recently enacted law that legalized cannabis possession when he takes office later this month, though he has reservations about the launch of a regulated market for recreational weed. “I will not seek to overturn the law on personal possession,” he told Virginia Business in an…
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Maryland Lawmaker Pre-files Bill To Put Weed Legalization On 2022 Ballot
Maryland’s legislature is starting to lay the groundwork to put the question of cannabis legalization before voters in 2022. Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) pre-filed a bill on Wednesday that would place legalization on the ballot for a referendum in November. The legislation – dubbed HB 1 – has been assigned to the House’s Judiciary…
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AOC Presses Biden To Use Presidential Powers To Reform Cannabis Policy
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants President Biden to flex his muscles as commander-in-chief to get cannabis reform and other policy changes done before it’s too late. The New York Democrat took to Twitter on Monday to urge the president to explore new ways of pushing his agenda through, noting that “time is running out” for Democrats.…
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Maryland Cannabis Commission Chair To Step Down As Dispensary Sales Poised To Surpass $600M
The chair of Maryland’s medical cannabis agency is resigning after more than four years helping to steer the direction of the state’s fast-growing industry. “I’ve decided it’s time to pass the torch,” said Brian Lopez, a real estate developer who was appointed to his chairman post by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in 2017. “It’s hard…
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Paraphernalia Decriminalization Bill Falls Short in Maryland After Hopes of Veto Override
A bill to lower criminal penalties for the possession of drug paraphernalia fell short in Maryland this week after the General Assembly opted to skip a vote to override a veto of the legislation. On Monday morning, lawmakers convened for a special legislative session in Annapolis to approve new Congressional district boundaries and consider overrides…
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Cannabis Banking Reforms Delayed Once Again After Being Stripped From Defense Bill
In a 363 to 70 vote, House lawmakers on Tuesday night passed a new version of a bicameral defense spending bill that doesn’t include cannabis banking reforms, sparking disappointment and frustration among advocates and stakeholders. Back in September, the House had approved an initial version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with provisions to…
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AOC Joins Forces With GOP Lawmaker On Bill To Help States Expunge Cannabis Records
The number of cannabis bills making their way through Congress keeps growing. A bi-partisan pair of House lawmakers, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Dave Joyce (R-OH), introduced federal legislation on Thursday that would offer states financial and administrative support to expunge pot-related offenses. The Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act would allow the U.S.…
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Lawmakers Mull How Maryland Should Go About Taxing Recreational Cannabis
Taxing purchases of cannabis for adult use in Maryland could bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the state’s coffers in the coming years, though just how much will vary depending on whether lawmakers decide to tax purchases based on price, potency or quantity. That was one of the major questions considered by members of…
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D.C. Council Holds First-Ever Hearing On Legalizing Cannabis Sales As Congressional Ban Lingers On
The D.C. Council on Friday held a much-anticipated hearing on a bill to legalize recreational cannabis sales, getting live input from more than 100 witnesses on a wide range of questions, from how to tax weed businesses, to where they should be located and how to create an equitable industry. The crux of the bill,…
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Why The Republican Cannabis Legalization Bill Could Have Better Odds Than Democratic Proposals
After years of Democrats steering the cannabis conversation on Capitol Hill, federal legalization is officially no longer a one-party issue. On Monday, South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace and Republican colleagues unveiled the States Reform Act, which would remove cannabis from the list of drugs scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act, impose a 3% federal tax…