Crafting Calm in a Fast-Paced World: The Story Behind Easyday Edibles
We chatted with Alan Manstof about his unconventional path to launching Easyday Edibles. What began with a stove-top gummy experiment evolved—after decades of curiosity and a marketing bootcamp led by his son—into a brand defined by clean ingredients, visual flair, and a laid-back ethos. In this interview, Manstof reflects on the lessons learned from building a cannabis edibles brand in Washington, D.C., why every gummy deserves to be beautiful and how his “analog place” became a guiding philosophy for the business.
D.C. considers “Craft Preparation” endorsement for medical cannabis retailers
Washington D.C. is moving to expand options for medical cannabis patients with proposed legislation, the “Medical Cannabis Retailer Craft Preparation Endorsement Amendment Act of 2025.” This act aims to create a new “craft preparation endorsement” allowing licensed medical cannabis retailers to prepare certain products on-site. Under the proposed amendment, retailers with this endorsement could create baked goods, beverages, chocolates and other edibles, as well as topical products like lotions and soaps and pre-rolls.
Capitol Hemp sues D.C. over hemp laws and challenges congressional ban
“The president’s budget is right on, baby! It’s got the ‘Harris Rider’ in it!” Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris yells to Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo after voting in the US House. “‘Harris Rider’ lives!”
Sign up for D.C. Cannabis Career fair, June 21st. Candidates register here. Cannabis businesses sign up here.
Next ABC Board meeting June 11 at 10:30 A.M., agenda, watch.
Another fake weed biz address leads to retirees fending off scammed customers
A bogus weed business listed on Google used a fake address that led customers to a Maryland couple’s house to try and buy weed. Dozens of people allegedly showed up to try and pick up their orders to find the older couple instead.
The Hemp Coalition of Maryland filed a lawsuit against the state’s cannabis regulators, alleging that the process for awarding new cannabis business licenses unfairly favors existing medical marijuana growers over new applicants.
A Maryland man was arrested and charged with possession of cannabis over the civil limit and intent to distribute after police found over five pounds of suspected cannabis and nearly $15,000 in cash in his Tesla during a drug investigation.
Anne Arundel County police arrested three individuals during a drug bust at a Travelodge hotel in Laurel, Maryland, seizing illicit drugs and a firearm.
ICYMI: As D.C. cannabis revenue grows without trickle-down, Maryland fuels equity with new funding round
The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill to overhaul the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, aiming to downsize and restructure the agency, consolidate control under the governor, regulate hemp products, and increase the cap on retail licenses.
Gov. Hochul appointed new leadership to the New York State Office of Cannabis Management in an effort to streamline the licensing process, improve communication, and address issues identified in a recent assessment of the state’s cannabis rollout.
Culture & More
Cannabis use is rapidly increasing among older adults, raising concerns among geriatricians and researchers about potential harms, despite perceived benefits for conditions like insomnia and chronic pain.
The EU’s drugs monitoring agency warns that potent new forms of cannabis, up to five times stronger than “Woodstock pot,” are flooding Europe and significantly increasing the risk of psychosis and other mental health issues for users.
Texas lawmakers focused on banning THC products, expanded the medical cannabis program and quietly passed a bill to research ibogaine as a treatment for substance use disorders.
Minnesota’s recreational cannabis sales tax is set to become one of the highest in the nation after the state Senate approved a 50% increase, raising it from 10% to 15%.
A California sheriff warned about cartels infiltrating cannabis operations on tribal land, while facing accusations and a lawsuit from a Native American tribe for allegedly overstepping authority during raids on their sovereign territory.
Ohio doubled the daily purchase limit for recreational cannabis flower to 2.5 ounces per customer, effective June 2025, which applies to non-medical consumers.
The Trump administration’s proposed budget for 2025 removes a long-standing provision that has previously protected state-legal medical cannabis programs from federal interference by the Department of Justice. Rep. Andy Harris proposed a new bill that would criminalize hemp products containing small, “quantifiable” amounts of THC. In response, Rep. Dave Joyce expressed support for the bill and opposition to such products, stating that they serve as a loophole for “gas station delivery of intoxicants” without age restrictions. Listen to the whole interview on Ask a Pol.
