In the world of cannabis journalism, transparency is everything. And yet, The Outlaw Report—a so-called “independent” cannabis publication—appears to be anything but.
Founded by cannabis industry attorneys Meredith Kinner and John McGowan of Kinner & McGowan PLLC, the same firm that “helps” dispensaries get their licenses from ABCA for large fees, The Outlaw Report is far from an objective watchdog. Instead, we think it reads like an insider’s playbook, defending the very businesses and regulatory bodies its founders are professionally entangled with.
How is that anything close to an “outlaw”?
Selective Journalism: The War on I-71 and the Protection of Their Friends
If you follow The Outlaw Report’s coverage (and you probably shouldn’t waste your time doing so), a clear pattern emerges:
Constant attacks on the I-71 gifting market – They repeatedly claim that unlicensed stores are ruining D.C.’s cannabis industry while ignoring the fact that Maryland’s year old recreational market and the “Harris Rider” have eaten the DC’s market’s lunch.
Glaring omissions of key dispensaries who have attempted to transition – Why aren’t they covering all of the dispensaries that followed the rules, attempted to converted legally, and are still struggling? These dispensaries are, of course, struggling due to ABCA’s failure to provide guidance or licenses in a timely manner despite their obvious quality and “conditional” approval. Wouldn’t that be a story worthy of a name like “Outlaw Report”? Do they cover it? NO.
Protecting their favorites – The publication seems to only cover certain dispensaries, the DC regulators, and their associated constituents – and always in a positive light (or whining because of poor sales). We think that’s because those same dispensaries are clients or allies of Kinner & McGowan and they really only care about the goals of their overlords.
What’s the latest and most absurd example of The Outlaw Report’s rancid bullshit?
Calling Toker’s Guide Fake News—Without Disproving a Single Claim
After Toker’s Guide published an exposé on the blatant hypocrisy of D.C.’s cannabis market, The Outlaw Report rushed to call us fake news in their newsletter.
Their argument?
They claimed we “spread inaccurate information” about dispensaries selling unlicensed or mislabelled products—but they provided zero evidence to refute our findings.
Here’s what we actually reported:
✅ The owner of Dispensary Near Me literally bragged about bringing in product from Michigan and California – and we have witnesses to corroborate.
✅ Clearsight Labs holds an unethical monopoly on lab testing in D.C.
✅ Miel Wellness was selling flower from “Cornerstone Cultivation”—a name that does not exist in D.C.’s licensed database and is not a DC brand. A day later they wrote us to let us know they had misspelled CornerSTORE Cultivation several times (including in their social media posts), but the fact remains: they had mislabelled product on their menu (and subsequently changed it because of our story). Incidentally, the flower looked like complete crap as if it had been in a pack for months, so it’s still hard for us to believe them. I guess we may never know where it actually came from.
Yes that’s right, we have photographic documentation of Miel Wellness’ wretched quality control, and multiple corroborating witnesses heard the Michigan-import braggadocio firsthand. That’s not fake news—that’s real investigative reporting.
(Also note that Dispensary Near ME and Miel Wellness owners both sent ominous messages to the wife of Toker’s Guide’s owner following the publication of the exposé. Truly reprehensible actions in our view).
And yet, The Outlaw Report refuses to engage with the actual facts. Instead, they label our work as a “hit piece” and a “great reminder of the value of real journalism.”
Real journalism?
From a publication founded by the same lawyers who help dispensaries navigate ABCA bureaucracy? The irony is thick enough to hotbox a room.
Is The Outlaw Report Just Another Tool for Industry Insiders?
Let’s take a step back and ask:
Who might benefit from The Outlaw Report’s selective reporting?
Dispensaries tied to their interests
Regulators who want to protect a pay-to-play system.
Industry insiders who are happy to see the I-71 operators shut down while they play by their own set of rules.
In other words, The Outlaw Report isn’t an Outlaw at all. In our view, it’s an Insider’s Guide masquerading as objective journalism—built not to hold D.C.’s cannabis industry accountable, but to protect certain players while crushing others.
Their alliance with Ganjapreneur, a national cannabis business journal focused on industry advertising, further solidifies their corporate bias. The publication isn’t about serving the D.C. cannabis community—it’s about serving business interests. Luckily, from our analytics research, they only have pint sized traffic anyways – and let’s hope it stays that way.
The Real Hypocrisy in D.C.’s Cannabis Market
Let’s also not forget that while The Outlaw Report pushes ABCA’s agenda against unlicensed stores, they are completely silent on the real hypocrisy:
Licensed dispensaries bringing in products from anywhere with zero enforcement.
ABCA targeting small CBD businesses like District Hemp while letting larger chains sell hemp products without issue.
A single lab—Clearsight Labs—controlling product approval, essentially holding the market hostage.
And yet, somehow, we’re the fake news?
Final Thoughts: We’re Just Here to Set the Record Straight
Unlike The Outlaw Report, Toker’s Guide is here to report on real consumer issues that affect real cannabis users in D.C.
We’re here to uncover what’s actually happening in the market—not push an agenda for our law firm buddies.
We provide evidence—real reports, real documentation, real consumer experiences.
We aren’t afraid to question ABCA, the dispensaries, or the regulatory system.
At the end of the day, we care about the people who actually buy, sell, and use cannabis in D.C.
The Outlaw Report?
They seem to care more about protecting insiders and shutting down anyone who isn’t playing their game.
So let’s call them what they really are:
The Insiders Report.
And next time they try to label Toker’s Guide as fake news, they should bring some real receipts—because we’ve got ours.
The Hypocrisy of Washington D.C.’s Cannabis Market