Tag: Main Blog
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D.C.’s Proposed Budget Offers Financial Boost To Cannabis Entrepreneurs Harmed By War On Drugs
D.C.’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes funding to help veterans and people formerly incarcerated on drug charges launch their own medical cannabis businesses in the District. As outlined in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposal, D.C. plans to set aside $300,000 for the Department of Small and Local Business Development to “provide financial and…
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D.C. Public Schools Starts Screening Staff And Volunteers For Cannabis
As part of new hiring protocols, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) will now test all current and prospective employees for cannabis, including program partners, contractors, and even volunteers. The new policy, first reported by Washington City Paper, adds to an already substantive security clearance process required to work for DCPS that involves a background check, fingerprinting,…
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Amid Massive Hiring Spree, Amazon Scraps Cannabis Screenings For Job Seekers
Amazon says it will no longer test job applicants for cannabis, though it will continue to perform random drug screenings for employees who are on the job. The policy reversal was announced on Tuesday by Dave Clark, Amazon’s CEO of consumer business, in a blog post on the company’s website. “In the past, like many…
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D.C. ‘Shocked’ And ‘Disappointed’ By Biden Move To Uphold Ban On Recreational Cannabis Sales
D.C. elected officials and business owners are voicing their frustration following news that President Joe Biden’s proposed budget would continue to prevent the District from legalizing recreational cannabis sales. The White House released its $6 trillion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year on Friday May 28 that includes language blocking D.C. from using local…
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As D.C. Reopens, Medical Cannabis Industry Emerges ‘Stronger Than Ever’
It has been a brutal year for D.C. businesses. Amid strict coronavirus restrictions, storefronts across the District faced a new socially distanced reality, leaving them to quickly adapt their business models or perish. Some found ways to cope, but many were forced to permanently shutter their doors. At least 375 businesses have closed in D.C.…
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You’ve Reached The Voice Mailbox Of—The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission
If you need to get in touch with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, there are two phone numbers to call listed on their website. Whether or not someone picks up the phone is a different story. The Outlaw Report called both numbers on May 25 during business hours. Each time, an automated message played warning…
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The Outlaw Report Podcast: Lessons from the Grand Canyon State
After covering the top stories, The Outlaw Report Podcast host Scott Cecil is joined by fellow Board member of the nonprofit Repair Now, and chairwoman of the Board of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Maya Tatum, to talk about work she’s on expungement and cannabis equity in Arizona. Maya shares some lessons learned from Arizona…
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Virginia Cannabis Legalization Gets Cops Kvetching About Drug Dogs
A story from last week by Washington D.C. ‘s Fox5 titled “Legalization of marijuana forcing some police K9s in Virginia to retire,” illustrates the way that no problem is too small to be problematized by law enforcement and other opponents of cannabis reform. According to Fox5, local law enforcement is “taking a hit” because of…
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Despite D.C. Legalization Push, Police Raids Persist For Unlicensed Cannabis Shops
While D.C. lawmakers forge ahead with efforts to legalize recreational cannabis sales, police in the nation’s capital continue to crack down on businesses that use a “gifting” loophole to sell cannabis in the District. Last week, more than a dozen police officers descended on a storefront called House of Herbs in D.C.’s Park View neighborhood,…
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Welcome To Maryland, Trulieve: Massive Cannabis MSO Enters Md. Market Following Record-Breaking Deal
One of the cannabis industry’s biggest companies is coming to Maryland by way of a $2.1 billion acquisition, the largest merger deal in the cannabis industry to-date. Trulieve Cannabis Corp. is a multistate operator (MSO) that dominates the Florida medical cannabis market. Last week, Trulieve announced they would be purchasing Harvest Health and Recreation, Arizona’s…
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Loudoun County Officials Push Back Against Cannabis Legalization, Tax Revenue
Last week, The Outlaw Report noted the ongoing effort in King George County, Virginia to figure out how they can prevent the cannabis legalization that was approved statewide—and begins in July 2021—from happening in their majority white, 188-square mile jurisdiction. “I saw first-hand the effects drug abuse can have on individuals as well as the…
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Virginia’s King George County Wants To Keep Cannabis Illegal
As Virginia rushes towards its expedited July 1, 2021 date for cannabis legalization, resulting in a number of cannabis-related companies rapidly entering the industry—even as it leaves those incarcerated for cannabis behind—at least one county is trying to figure out how to keep cannabis illegal. King George County officials have asked the county’s attorney to…