Mark Nagib is overjoyed to finally bring Pink Fox to the legal D.C. medical market after years in the I-71 market. Nagib’s type one manufacturing facility was the first new manufacturer to bring products to licensed D.C. dispensaries starting this past December since D.C. began expanding its medical market in 2023. The name Pink Fox originated from the ziplock bags covered in pink foxes that Nagib and his business partner Kelley O’Connell originally bought from Target to pack their edibles in. O’Connell died in 2021 from ovarian cancer, leaving Nagib to see the business to the legal market by himself.
- One new store opened, Green Label, according to ABCA, which means 17 total dispensaries are now open in D.C.
- ABC Board meeting Feb. 5 at 10:30 A.M., agenda, watch.
Maryland weed tax poll shows support for increase
A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll shows strong voter support for Maryland Governor Moore’s proposed tax increases on high-income earners, sports betting, and cannabis sales (increasing from 9% to 15%). However, a proposed delivery fee on large companies like Amazon and DoorDash is widely opposed. These tax increases are part of a plan to address a multi-billion dollar state budget shortfall.
Both sides of Virginia’s legislature passed a bill to launch legal weed sales
Virginia’s House of Delegates passed a bill legalizing and regulating recreational cannabis sales, following Senate approval of a similar bill last week. However, Gov. Youngkin continues to indicate he will likely veto the legislation, as he did with a similar bill last year. While cannabis use and possession are already legal in Virginia, retail sales remain blocked, leading to a thriving black market.
ICYMI: Three new D.C. dispensaries open, three unlicensed closed and one store celebrates six years
East Coast Roundup
New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) approved over 5,000 licenses and increased staffing over the past two years, but it lacked resources to effectively regulate the market and shut down illegal operations, The Times reported. Since last summer, regulators and police have padlocked more than 1,500 locations suspected of selling illegal cannabis.
Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania as part of his budget request. He argues the state is missing out on significant revenue, which is instead flowing to neighboring states like Ohio and Maryland that have already legalized cannabis.
New York State’s economy is on fire. It reached $1 billion in legal cannabis sales, state-department officials announced on Jan. 28, 2025. Tax revenue generated from licensed cannabis sales will be reinvested into community programs, public health initiatives and the development of New York’s cannabis infrastructure.
Culture & More
FEATURED: Cannabis investment firm Navy Capital, led by Sean Stiefel and John Kaden, has closed its doors. CEO Stiefel cited the failed Florida legalization vote and rapid price degradation in the cannabis industry as key factors in the decision.
Read more via Cultivated, a 5-minute daily newsletter for cannabis industry and policy professionals. Subscribe today!
Cannabis use in the US has doubled in the last decade, but despite legalization in many states, finding safe, regulated products is difficult. Cannabis can be contaminated with pesticides, molds, or heavy metals. Although states are attempting to regulate the industry, researchers say more work is needed.
NHL players are increasingly turning to cannabis edibles to manage stress and pain, with many preferring a mix of THC and CBD. Edible cannabis use is on the rise, with 38% of players surveyed saying they used it during the season.
Around the Country
Despite legalization, the US cannabis market is still plagued by a large black market. Even police struggle to tell legal from illegal weed, leaving consumers at risk. Experts warn about the unregulated market’s lack of safety and transparency.
Two Colorado Springs residents are suing the city over a ballot measure to overturn a voter-approved ordinance allowing recreational cannabis sales.
A new effort is underway to put recreational cannabis back on the Florida ballot in 2026, after the measure failed in 2024 due to not reaching the required 60% support. The new measure aims to address criticisms from the previous initiative, including allowing smaller companies to compete in the cannabis industry.
From the swamp
Curaleaf, a major cannabis company, donated $250,000 to President Trump’s inaugural committee through the U.S. Cannabis Council. Reports also indicate that executives from other cannabis companies attended inaugural events with high entry fees.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the president’s nominee for health and human services secretary, told senators that cannabis rescheduling is a “prerogative of the DEA” and he will “defer to” that agency on the issue—adding he would “like to review the data” that led to his department’s Schedule III recommendation
