D.C. Regulators Issue Urgent Warning Over Phishing Scam Targeting Cannabis and Alcohol Applicants
The District of Columbia’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) has alerted applicants and licensees to an ongoing fraudulent phishing scheme targeting cannabis and alcohol businesses. Scammers are sending fake fee invoices and application status updates from an unauthorized domain (abca.director@dr.com). ABCA emphasized that Board members will never contact applicants directly regarding payments, and official communications strictly originate from @dc.gov email addresses. Recipients are instructed not to click links or make payments and to report suspicious emails immediately to abca.it@dc.gov.
- The next ABC Board meeting is Sept. 15: watch, agenda.
- Catch up on the Sept. 9th disposition or subscribe to a paying membership to receive exclusive summaries of Board meetings and see our map of pending and open cannabis businesses in D.C.
The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) has published updated draft regulations (3VAC10-10 et seq.) governing the Commonwealth’s adult-use cannabis market. The proposed framework caps statewide retail store licenses at 350, creates five tiered cultivation levels, and establishes a microbusiness license allowing integrated cultivation, processing, and retail. Qualifying social equity “impact” applicants can receive fee waivers and form cooperative shared-space agreements, while existing medical operators face statutory dual-use transition rules to expand sales to adult-use consumers.
- Don’t forget to tune in or attend the Joint Commission on the Cannabis Retail Market meeting on Monday, September 21, at 3:00 PM EST—click here to view the agenda and stream details.
Maryland Updates Executive Branch Cannabis and Substance Rules Following Adult-Use Legalization
Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed Executive Order 01.01.2026.15 on September 4, 2026, updating the state executive branch’s workplace substance misuse policy to address legal adult-use and medical cannabis. While maintaining strict bans on workplace impairment, consumption, and possession on state property, the updated order balances federal compliance requirements with Maryland’s “Recovery Friendly Workplace” framework and adult-use legalization rules.
ICYMI: D.C. Eases Real Estate Hurdle for Conditional Cannabis Licensees
East Coast Roundup
Massachusetts surpassed $10 billion in total adult-use cannabis sales since launching its commercial market, demonstrating long-term demand even as price compression and market maturity require tighter operational margins for retailers.
Vermont Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers faces a $5,000 fine from state regulators after inspectors discovered approximately 200 unlicensed cannabis seedlings at an unpermitted secondary location, proving that enforcement agencies are strictly targeting non-compliant cultivation regardless of political profile.
Delaware generated a record $5.6 million in adult-use sales in July, but totals remain far below initial tax projections due to slow retail expansion that currently restricts sales exclusively to incumbent medical dispensaries.
New Hampshire Representative Maggie Goodlander endorsed federal cannabis legalization during a primary debate, highlighting how economic pressure from surrounding legal states is pushing northern New England politicians to support federal market integration.
Culture & More
Fresh-frozen cannabis flower is processed into ice water hash and pressed with heat to preserve peak terpene profiles, creating a high-margin, solventless concentrate category that demands premium retail pricing.
An author who faced 70 years in prison for giving away joints in 1968 traces the long evolution from high-stakes law enforcement raids to today’s standard retail checkout, highlighting how far commercial cannabis access and banking integration have advanced.
Researchers discovered the world’s oldest evidence of habitual psychoactive plant use after finding chemical traces of mind-altering betel nut inside 25,000-year-old teeth from hunter-gatherers in Indonesia.
Around the Country
California regulators suspended the license of a major Hollywood-connected cannabis farm and issued product recalls after discovering pesticide violations and adulterated products during an investigation into a worker’s death.
Cannabis analytics firm Headset Inc. agreed to pay over $1 million to settle allegations under the False Claims Act that it improperly received federal pandemic relief funds while tied to the restricted cannabis industry.
A Mississippi medical cannabis operator is fighting DEA registration requirements that mandate firing nonviolent felony-convicted employees who have worked successfully at the business for over a year.
From the Swamp
A federal appeals court rejected a request by prohibitionist groups and drug testing entities to block the federal government’s administrative move to reclassify cannabis to Schedule III.
A Whitney Economics report found that a proposed federal ban on intoxicating cannabinoids could eliminate up to 68.1% of U.S. hemp businesses and erase tens of billions of dollars in economic activity.
