*By Jacqueline Corba*
Pop-up pot shops and cannabis confabs have been on the rise in the nation's capital, as would-be marijuana businesses try to find new ways to engage potential customers since Washington legalized the possession of small amounts of the drug three years ago.
Since the district's Initiative 71 went into effect in 2015, people 21 years and up can possess up to two ounces of pot. It's not O.K. to buy it or sell it, but people can transfer up to one ounce of the drug to another person of age ー a practice known as "gifting."
"We gift all the time, but a lot of people who want to get compensated, they have someone buy something else in exchange," said Lisa Scott, founder of the D.C. marijuana edible company Bud Appetit.
Cannabis businesses sell a legal item such as a t-shirt or jewelry, and then "gift" marijuana to the customer. Scott said in an interview with Cheddar's CannaBiz that these types of exchanges at private events are increasing as consumer demand is on the rise.
Authorities have grown less tolerant. During a pop-up party in January, almost two dozen vendors were arrested and charged with misdemeanor drug possession with the intent to distribute, according to [The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/in-the-murky-world-of-dc-marijuana-law-pop-up-markets-thrive/2018/03/26/84b9b2c6-2967-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html) . The charges were soon dropped by prosecutors.
"The laws are going to change, and eventually they will open the doors to more recreational sales and we want to be ready for when it happens," said Scott, who earlier this year started the D.C. Cannabis Business Association. "We don't want people with deep pockets and money from other states to come in and take our customers."
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/understanding-the-murky-legal-landscape-for-cannabis-in-d-c).
Americans continue to feel the pain at the pump as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, joined Cheddar News to discuss how prices are being affected by the war and how much worse it could potentially get for drivers. "It's obviously a fluid situation. In one field today, I might feel differently in a half hour. But for now, I think we could see the national average realistically go somewhere into the mid $4 range, maybe $4.40 to $4.65 based on what we're seeing," he said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered its 12th day following what Ukrainian authorities described as increased shelling of encircled cities and another failed attempt to evacuate civilians from the port city of Mariupol.
Gasoline prices are pushing even farther above $4 a gallon, the highest price that American motorists have faced since July 2008, as calls grow to ban imports of Russian oil.
Jay Hatfield, Chief Investment Officer at ICAP, believes a lot of the bad news regarding the fighting in Ukraine and Fed is already priced into the market and looming uncertainty factored into Friday's movement. However, he also believes the upcoming Fed decision will be good news for Wall Street.
News of Russian forces taking control of a Ukrainian after artillery bombardment of a nuclear power plant raised concerns this week. Nuclear policy expert and Quincy Institute Distinguished Fellow Joe Cirincione joined Cheddar News to discuss the implications for a potential disaster. “I’m with the director general of the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He says that he is extremely concerned, and that this Russian attack is a severe risk and that Russia clearly violated the fundamental principle of preserving the integrity of nuclear power plants," Cirincione said.
Amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, major businesses from BP to Big Tech like Apple have been pausing their business dealings with the invading nation. Brian Walker, chief strategy officer at commerce software company Bloomreach, joined Cheddar News to discuss how some companies are showing support for Ukraine and what this could mean for consumers. "Whether it be impacts on energy or operational costs, shipping and logistics, or frankly impacts on the financial services industry, these will have long term implications on retail prices," he said.
About 678,000 jobs were created in February, hundreds of thousands more than predicted, according to the latest Labor Department report, showing a broad economic recovery despite inflation woes. Heather Boushey, member of the Council of Economic Advisers for President Biden, joined Cheddar News to talk about the employment figures. "This really shows that the economy is now more resilient because of the tools that we have in place," Boushey said. "So I'm optimistic that we'll be able to weather future storms."
Ramit Varma, Independent candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, joins Cheddar News to discuss the race and how he plans to tackle critical issues in the California city.
