420DC Weekly Round Up

Headlines from 8/18-8/25

Brought to you by The Outlaw Report

DC/Federal

Kamala Harris: From Anti-Cannabis ‘Top Cop’ To MORE Act Sponsor

Cannabis reformers’ hope for cannabis legalization across the United States sits squarely on the shoulders of a former prosecutor who as recently as 2014 was laughing at reporters for asking her questions about legal weed. We are of course talking about Kamala Harris, the Democratic pick for Vice President. The Outlaw Report looks at Harris’ changing attitudes surrounding cannabis.

Maryland

How Maryland Dropped The Ball On Increasing Its Decriminalization Threshold

What is Maryland doing when it comes to cannabis? The Outlaw Report explores the burgeoning support and subsequent squashing of House Bill 550, which would have increased Maryland’s decriminalization threshold from 10 grams to one ounce. So what happened? A fearful Senate, a pandemic, and a game of political musical chairs thanks to Baltimore City’s primary all come into play.

Virginia

Virginia’s Medicinal Cannabis Program Is Seriously, Actually Happening

Virginia’s medicinal cannabis program—approved in 2017 but just now getting off the ground—has 3,800 registered patients and for now, four dispensaries approved with one of them, Dharma Pharmaceuticals in Bristol, VA possibly ready to open by the end of August. According to Marijuana Business Daily, projections for medicinal cannabis sales in Virginia will be between $9 million and $11 million in 2021 (the first full year the program will be operational) and will, by 2024, be somewhere between $45 million and $55 million.

Quick Hit

MDMA Made From Crude Oil and the Future of Big Psychedelics

Earlier this month, the website Psymposia published a fascinating—and mildly terrifying—article. Titled, “Forget Plant-Based Medicine, MDMA is Now Made From Crude Oil,” the piece describes how a petroleum-derived chemical (rather than plant-derived sassafras) called “catechol,” described as “a bulk commodity chemical made in thousands of tons per year from crude oil,” can be used as to create MDMA. The Outlaw Report wonders what this means as psychedelic therapy sneaks into the mainstream and courts investors.