Oooh, do we got some hot tamales in the NEWS fryer for y'all this week!
Washington, DC
Local ganja-preneurial superstar Dr Chanda Macias, owner of the National Holistic Healing Center dispensary and CEO of Women Grow, finds herself in hot water with the District of Health this week. The City Paper has a big expose about Dr Macias' questionable business dealings today. Their article includes valuable insight into how the District's program is run and how little your ANCs vote matters in the final licensing decision. This is must-read stuff, you guys.
The story says that Macias set up a separate company, Charmed LLC, to apply for the Ward 7 license in an attempt to get around DC's anti-monopoly rules for medical marijuana businesses. It worked and they won the license. Andy Hai Ting, the puppet owner, then let it slip in a meeting with other owners that he worked for NHHC. DC Holistic Wellness fought back in court and got the license in the end.
Macias denies any wrongdoing and is suing the Dept of Health over the license Charmed lost. She insists that the paperwork submitted with their application clearly reveals that she is the CEO of Charmed and NHHC. She claims the interview where Hai Ting told DC officials that Macias wasn't his boss was "unfair."
Macias says that NHHC legitimately lent Charmed one million dollars to start their dispensary because medical marijuana industry loans are impossible to get from banks. Which is true. But in Hai Ting's interview with DC Health, he told officials nothing about this million-dollar loan existed in writing and he wasn't clear on how it would be paid back.
"Don't piss on my boots and say it's raining," as my dad would say.
That's not all! City Paper's story also includes allegations from former Baltimore Ravens tackle Eugene Munroe that Macias brought on several minority owners to apply for a license in Louisiana, then shut them out of the company once they'd won. Wow.
Maryland
Maryland lawmakers have a lot to learn on legalizing marijuana. Here are 5 things the experts taught them. (BALTIMORE SUN) interesting that lawmakers discussed the DC weed gifting scene as a possibility of legalizing weed. Current MMJ rules prohibit sharing with others, including patients.
Dixie Elixirs CEO Talks Partnership With AriZona Iced Tea and More (WESTWORD) I've had good results with the Dixie brand of ingestibles in Maryland
Virginia
Virginia, Marijuana, and How Medical Legalization May Unfold in the South (NORML) includes Merry Jane interview with Jenn Michele Pedini, head of VA NORML
Lung-illnesses related to vaping now reported in Virginia, nearly 200 cases nationwide (WSET) We talked about this story last week. Weird how it's only WSET reporting on it…
Medical cannabis dispensary coming to Staunton hosts Q&A session (STAUNTON NEWS LEADER) getting to know your new dispensary time!