Category: Washington, D.C.
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Psychedelics and Cannabis in Washington D.C.’s Election
In Washington D.C., the major drug reform news was the overwhelming vote in support of Initiative 81—the “Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020”—which would decriminalize a number of plant-based psychedelics (such as psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and iboga) within the District. Initiative 81 received 89,714 votes in favor and 27,429 in opposition. That is…
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D.C. Mayor Won’t Approve Psychedelics Decriminalization Even If Voters Support It
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she is not in favor of moving forward with the initiative that would decriminalize psychoactive drugs such as psilocybin, ayahuasca and other “natural plant medicines” even if voters approve of it on Election Day. “It seems like the issue is not an organically D.C-created initiative,” Bowser said at a…
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Quick Hit: DEA Uses the Postal Service To Promote Drug Abstinence
While the Trump administration has no interest in even addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is offering up an equally feckless response to drugs in America: Just don’t do it. Last week, in a typically Trumpian collaboration, the DEA, Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier, and the United States Postal Service Trump has…
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Episode 10: 2020 Elections Special
For this special episode of The Outlaw Report, Scott is joined by Mike Liszewski, one of the foremost experts on Capitol Hill on cannabis law and policy and more broadly, drug policy reform. They preview the 2020 elections and what wins for either party at the Presidential and Congressional levels would mean for cannabis in…
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Episode 09: ABRAcadabra: Dank Deliveries and Cannabis for Cops
Scott, Shabnam, and Brandon discuss the continued easing of restrictions for cannabis delivery in the District, a new law in Virginia preventing the alleged smell of cannabis from leading to a vehicle search, and Maryland’s recommendation to ease restrictions of prior cannabis use for law enforcement recruits.
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D.C. Cannabis Dispensary Employees Join Union
The first Black-owned dispensary in D.C. is also the first to unionize. As excited employees looked on, Norbert Pickett, CEO and owner of DC Holistic Wellness signed the 5-year bargaining contract with United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 on October 21. “Here at DC Holistic Wellness, we want our workers to have a…
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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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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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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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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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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…