Authorities padlock illegal cannabis operation in Northwest D.C.
D.C. regulators padlocked another illegal cannabis shop in Northwest, seizing unregulated products and making an arrest. The closure brings the city’s total to 101 unlicensed cannabis businesses shut down since July 2024.
- The next ABC Board meeting is Jan. 28, 2026: watch, agenda.
- ABC Board meeting schedule for 2026.
The Maryland Cannabis Administration has issued updated 2026 guidance clarifying how cannabis businesses must register agents and complete required criminal history background checks as the state’s cannabis market continues to expand. The guidance details who must be registered as a cannabis agent, emphasizes that registrations must be initiated by the employing business through the state’s OneStop system, and outlines fingerprint submission and background check procedures for both in-state and out-of-state applicants.
- Michael Gary Bronfein, the 70-year-old co-founder and CEO of Baltimore’s Curio Wellness and a longtime investor, philanthropist, and cannabis industry pioneer, died of natural causes on January 21, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of business leadership and community involvement.
- The Maryland Department of Labor awarded a $217,000 grant to CannaWorkforce to expand its cannabis industry workforce development and training programs, supporting education and job placement for unemployed and underemployed Marylanders in the regulated cannabis sector.
Virginia’s proposed cannabis bill would give licensing preference to some Southwest and Southside applicants
Virginia’s proposed cannabis legalization bill would create a social-equity licensing system that gives certain applicants preference for retail cannabis licenses based on criteria including residence in disproportionately policed or economically disadvantaged areas — a structure that could advantage people from some Southwest and Southside localities regardless of race.
- Virginia senators approved a bill to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana sales, moving the state closer to a licensed adult-use cannabis market.
- Virginia hemp farmers are facing challenges navigating regulatory and enforcement pressures as the state’s cannabis policies evolve, leaving many stuck between marijuana laws and government requirements.
- The next CCA meeting is Feb. 17, 1-3 P.M.
ICYMI: D.C. cannabis board denies ANC 6A reconsideration protest; Virginia bill sets November 2026 retail launch
East Coast Roundup
A national dark-money group is funding efforts to block recreational cannabis legalization in Massachusetts, spending heavily to influence the state’s ballot initiatives…