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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 9h

Zach Alam found guilty on both counts of Breaking & Entering and Grand Larceny. Now faces a sentence of 2-20 years.

Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Zach Alam would have been serving an 8 year sentence for storming the US Capitol but was pardoned by Trump in January. In May, he was arrested in Henrico, Virginia for felony burglary and is set to go on trial on Thursday.

Zach Alam mugshot via Henrico Sheriff's Department

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 10h

Alam's defense rests on how a missing diamond necklace and electric tablet weren't found on him. The items were missing immediately after he entered the house and went rummaging thru home. Henrico County Police officers found him less than 2 miles away near a wooded area.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 10h

The jury is deliberating. Alam has admitted to entering the house, putting a stolen box in his backpack found on him, even changing his clothes and discarding the old clothes.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 16h

What a beautiful day to be outside, but I am sitting in the courthouse behind me. The jury for Zach Alam has been seated and I hope to let you know the outcome by the end of the day.

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Reposted by Goth Goad (Halloween Expert)

Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · Jul 2

What I like about Norman Finklestein is that he is one of the insufferable assholes in the Zeitgeist but he has staying power because he keeps saying things like "actually, murdering a toddler is defined as a war crime." Other than that, he's pretty shitty. He's got a cool last name tho.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 1d

Spent the evening bird dogging outside of a John Reid event. All I have to show for it is this picture of John Reid pulling into the parking lot after he waved at me.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 2d

Mom said it was my turn to use Joe Falcco

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

That wraps up this meeting but I did get to see Fat Cat set up across the street at City Hall.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Senator Adam Ebbins mentions funding for more research and studies into these unauthorized retailers which aids law enforcement to keep up with the changing world of illicit marijuana sales.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Peace at the recommendations talks about there's confusion about the definition of "marijuana" which is banned from consuming on school property but derivatives don't meet the standard definition and had to dig deeper into the state code with the Consumer Protection Act.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Peace mentions a product named Keef which is unsure if it is an authentic Colorado product not legal in Virginia or a counterfeit. Testing shows bacteria grown in the product.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Delegate Buddy Fowler is in my shoot but he does not sell any unregulated marijuana

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Would you like to know about the illicit sales from Michelle Peace who has secret shoppers going around Virginia. One instance, Peace talks about a store that made the shopper use the vape before selling the cannabis vape.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Delegate Rae Cousins from Richmond asks about vape shops. Fagons says one way New York went after those shops without locking up people is going after landlords for holding them liable for what's sold on their property.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Damion Fagan is joining virtually, sorry no picture at the podium. One interesting point is that alcohol goes Producer>Distributor>Retail but cannabis can go Producer/Grower>Retail in order to prevent a distributor from making a virtual monopoly or throttle the market.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Jackson says that operations can close to meet shareholder maximum revenue and leave Virginia unstable markets and revenues. Limit licenses fail to compete with illicit markets with price and access.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

In this previous presentation Abebe spoke highly of states like Illinois for a high diversity of owners, Jackson paints this as a placeholder for a large corporation and Multi State Operators to come in and swoop up the licensing.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Next up is Max Jackson (great name) on preventing market capture in Virginia. Jackson says that large corporations own huge market shares in states like Florida and Illinois and highest prices in the country.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Abebe references delays in legal retail markets in New York and Illinois. One problem came from social equity based licenses suing states based on processing. That delayed rollout by 2 years.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Abebe says that illicit marijuana sales are $2-3 billion dollars in Virginia which is 5-8 times the size of the legal medical market.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Next presentation from Ngiste Abebe that in this period of transition to a legal retail market has caused illicit sales to thrive because law enforcement and Commonwealth's Attorney are unsure of the law.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Earlier this year Youngkin vetoed HB 1989 bipartisan legislation that was intended to fix issues with the current law. One of those issues was that edibles should tell the milligrams per product and the legal issue of delivery agents, especially since there's a big portion without providers.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

JM Pedini from NORML Virginia gives the first presentation and one thing that sticks out is how there is a vacant area in the state that does not have legal cannabis providers.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

Time for another meeting of the JOINT Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market. The final meeting is in December where the commission will make its recommendations for new legislation.

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Goth Goad (Halloween Expert) @goad.bsky.social · 3d

they believe it was a sting operation

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