Here's your week in DMV weed news!
Maryland
Edibles are finally coming to Maryland. Gov Hogan just signed off, which means the race is on, baby! Cookies, brownies, gummies, probably some healthy options in there, too, why not? We already had ingestibles, some of which are pretty decent, but maybe it'll be easier to achieve stronger potency with classic edibles cuz of fat bonding or whatever.
One thing to keep in mind! Commercial cannabis edibles are primarily made from trim, not buds. Most edibles are also made from a mix of flowers as opposed to one single strain. If done thoughtfully, you could ensure a wide spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes to maximize the medical benefits this way, but it's typically been distilled down to liquid THC and/or CBD.
Since the patients will never see the flower/distillate they originally came from, you can be sure that edibles made from premium cannabis will be the exception, not the rule. You might have better experiences buying an ounce or so from your favorite dispensary and making your own infused butter and oil!
Your very own Gentleman got the scoop on Maryland's first social cannabis club, by the way. But do I get any recognition for my fine journalism? Sniff. It's fine. Whatever, Google. I thought we were cool.
Washington DC
National Holistic Healing Center CEO Dr. Chanda Macias is featured in this article on Yahoo News describing the challenges faced by cannabis industry mothers and their families. They also quote Marlo Ramirez from Canndescent, a brand I reviewed while in San Diego last year. So that's neat.
A report today from the Washington Post cites two studies from watchdog groups that claim blacks are still arrested in disproportionate numbers in the District. Smoking marijuana in public is one of the most commonly cited reasons.
Meanwhile, smoking weed at home is often prohibited in your lease, ditto in federal housing, and homeowners can still run into trouble with neighbors. And after years of legalization there's been zero progress on giving the people a safe, public space to consume marijuana. Though there are allowances made in Bowser's new bill, that's gonna take time to implement. Arrests will continue unabated in the meantime.
Virginia
Last year a group of eight men from VA & NC traveled to Northern California for the purpose of robbing homeowners that they believed to contain large amounts of marijuana and cash. They broke into two homes in Petaluma, about an hour north of San Francisco in Sonoma County. There they bound & beat the occupants at gunpoint and assaulted neighbors before realizing they'd got the wrong addresses.
Absolutely despicable. Completely underscores my concerns about home growing until federal legalization takes place. Growing your own marijuana comes with risks that buying your stash from a dispensary usually doesn't. In this case, just living in an area where people are known to grow turned out dangerous.