Category: Virginia
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The Outlaw Report Podcast Episode 03: Cannabis and Defunding The Police
In the third episode of The Outlaw Report podcast, Prohibited podcast founder Scott Cecil talks to reporter Brandon Soderberg about racial justice and cannabis amid nationwide protests against police violence following the police killing of George Floyd. Cecil and Soderberg discussed Washington D.C.’s proposed budget and its perceived workaround for facilitating a commercial cannabis industry…
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West Virginia Medicinal Cannabis Program Considers Its 2021 Launch
Not long after it was announced that West Virginia would likely not have a medicinal cannabis program until 2021, the state’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Board (MCAB) hosted a virtual meeting last week providing a number of updates on its infamously, slow-going program. In April 2017, West Virginia passed a bill allowing for the creation of…
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Virginia Governor Connects Cannabis Reform To Nationwide Protests Against Police Violence
Last week during a press briefing, Virginia governor Ralph Northam, who has been instrumental in moving cannabis reform forward in the state, connected cannabis laws to the broader Black Lives Matter movement and the current moment of nationwide protest against police violence and police militarization. “Through 400 years of American history—starting with the enslavement of…
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Virginia’s Expansive Cannabis Reform In 2020—and Who It Leaves Behind
Last week, Virginia’s decriminalization of cannabis possession of up to an ounce became official—it goes into effect on July 1. It is the most notable legislation amid a number of cannabis bills that passed in what was a legislative session of sprawling reform regarding cannabis in the state. 18 bills succeeded in passing both the…
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Virginia Cannabis Decriminalization Is Official; ACLU Explains How Cops Can Still Bust You For Weed
Last week, Virginia’s decriminalization bill allowing possession of up to an ounce of cannabis, was officially signed into law. For readers of The Outlaw Report, this is fairly anticlimactic given Virginia governor Ralph Northam’s public support of decriminalization for quite some time including during the 2017 election. Back in February, the Virginia Senate approved Senator…
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Richmond Will No Longer Drug Test City Employees For Cannabis
Last week, Richmond’s City Council approved a resolution that would stop the city from drug testing employees for cannabis. Currently, Richmond drug tests for cannabis for pre-employment and randomly drug tests current city employees. But now, with Virginia getting ready to institute its medicinal cannabis program—as well as decriminalization of up to an ounce and…
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The Outlaw Report Podcast Episode 02: Cannabis in the DMV During COVID-19
In the second episode of The Outlaw Report podcast, Prohibited podcast founder Scott Cecil talks to reporter Brandon Soderberg about how Maryland, Washington DC, and Virgina are dealing with cannabis during COVID-19. They discuss responses to cannabis laws by police during the pandemic and how the medicinal cannabis industry in Maryland and DC are dealing…
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More Dispensaries in Virginia; Richmond Council Proposes Excluding Cannabis From Drug Testing
Virginia’s dedication to cannabis reform in 2020 is one of the most fascinating and encouraging cannabis stories in the region. The approval of decriminalization of up to an ounce and the establishment of a proper medicinal cannabis program nearly catches Virginia up to Maryland which began its own similar changes six years earlier. There are…
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Cannabis Reform Has Not Stopped Virginia Cops From Touting Pot Busts
This legislative session, Virginia has rapidly moved along with cannabis reform, decriminalizing cannabis possession up to an ounce, establishing the framework for medicinal cannabis, and regulating CBD food products. The Outlaw Report has noted how in a matter of a few months, it seems as though Virginia is catching up with many of nearby Maryland’s…
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Virginia Cannabis Reform Continues
Virginia approved cannabis decriminalization earlier this month and continues expanding cannabis and cannabis-related reform. Senate Bill 918/House Bill 1430, recently approved by Governor Ralph Northam, regulates products containing CBD as food: “The bill authorizes the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt regulations establishing contaminant tolerances, labeling requirements, and batch testing requirements,” SB 918’s…
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ACLU Report Reveals Racial Disparities For Cannabis Arrests Remain Amid Reform
For this year’s 4/20 celebration, the American Civil Liberties Union released a sobering report. Titled “A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform,” the in-depth report illustrates how black people are 3.6 times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis possession. This is similar, the ACLU…