Law Maryland MMJ

[Baron23]

Related article from today
Marijuana monopolies? Maryland medical pot regulators plan hearing on rules many fear threaten competition
State regulators have scheduled a public hearing to address concerns that national cannabis corporations are trying to dominate Maryland’s medical marijuana market by skirting rules designed to prevent a few firms from controlling the burgeoning industry.

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission announced that its policy committee will host an open meeting about ownership rules on Jan. 8 — a day before the General Assembly is set to begin a new legislative session expected to tackle the same issue.

The Baltimore Sun reported last month that several national cannabis companies are poised to acquire firms with Maryland licenses despite state rules that limit such consolidation and a state law barring ownership changes for another year.

For instance, Massachusetts-based Curaleaf, which has two of its own licenses in Maryland, has offered $30 million to acquire a small Frederick County company authorized to grow, process and sell cannabis. Other large national companies also have pending deals for Maryland firms, The Sun’s investigation found. The cannabis commission was unaware of three of the deals until notified by The Sun

Several companies moving to enter the Maryland market have structured takeover bids as “management agreements” that give them nearly all of the revenues, while trying not to run afoul of rules limiting how many licenses one company can own.

Maryland regulations allow companies to hold one license in each of the state’s three categories — growing pot, processing it into products and selling them from retail stores.

Some lawmakers and industry representatives are concerned that well-financed, out-of-state cannabis companies seeking to acquire controlling stakes in firms with Maryland licenses could build farm-to-patient monopolies in certain parts of the state that would drive down prices. Such a scenario could cripple independent firms and limit customer access to affordable products.

“There is a fear in the industry about the monopolization of the market by out-of-state companies,” said Mackie Barch, chairman of the Maryland Wholesale Medical Cannabis Trade Association. “The commission is under pressure to clarify what the rules are.”

The commission’s meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m. at the University of Maryland’s law school in Baltimore, will consider “issues of ownership and third-party management services agreements” and seek “feedback and recommendations,” the announcement said. The panel said it is seeking to “clarify the legal requirements” for medical cannabis businesses. Written comments and oral testimony will be accepted from anyone in attendance.

In its announcement, the panel acknowledged that the management agreements may not violate Maryland rules as written if such deals do not involve a transfer of ownership, or equity interest, in the license-holding company. “Depending on their precise terms, management agreements may not constitute a restricted transfer of interest” under state law and regulations, the panel said.

State Dels. Cheryl Glenn and Sandy Rosenberg, both Baltimore Democrats, have said they intend to look at the state’s rules on the matter in the coming General Assembly session, saying the legislative intent was to allow for small businesses to thrive in the industry.

The medical cannabis commission governs an industry that has generated $96 million in its first 12 months of operations. The panel says it has rejected at least six management agreements submitted for approval because the deals violated the regulations and a state law that prohibits sales until at least next December.

A recent opinion provided to Rosenberg by the attorney general’s office said that state regulations do not permit companies “unlimited vertical integration” — owning multiple licenses to grow marijuana, make it into products and sell it. Allowing such a framework could “put smaller operations out of business and risks the creation of monopolies,” the opinion states.




Dr. Michael F. Chiaramonte, president of the Maryland Medical Dispensary Association and the owner of Haven dispensary in Brandywine, said the question “comes down to control.”

“This issue has gone on for a while and we appreciate the commission providing clarity,” said Chiaramonte, whose group represents more than 70 dispensaries in Maryland. “If management agreements are okay, then technically one company could have a management agreement with every dispensary in the state. Is that good for Maryland? Is that good for patients in Maryland?”

The goal, he added, “is to have 102 viable and successful dispensaries across Maryland to ensure patient access.”

Last month The Sun reported several deals that would give well-financed companies trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange control over multiple licenses in Maryland.

Massachusetts-based Curaleaf holds one license to sell medical cannabis from a Reisterstown store and one to make products in Allegany County. In an Oct. 26 filing with the Canadian exchange, Curaleaf reported that it has entered into a $30 million “purchase agreement” to acquire a Frederick County firm that holds three more licenses and a fourth through an affiliate.

The deal also shed light on how companies view management agreements: Curaleaf states in the document that it controls new companies either “through the purchase of the business or control through a management agreement.”

 

[Baron23]

I like to think I had some very small part in that $100M! hahaha

Medical cannabis sales top $100 million in Maryland

It's been a full year since medical marijuana officially entered Maryland’s economy and over $100 million in revenue has been generated by local dispensaries during that time.

Former Baltimore Ravens football star, Eugene Monroe, is one of the biggest names in Maryland’s cannabis business which has already helped heal thousands of local residents.

"The more people who become aware of the availability of cannabis and the ease of access to it increases, we do think that we will continue to see that type of growth here in the market,” said Monroe.

Local leaders have also embraced the new businesses into their community's.

"Our district senator has actually come by a couple times,” said Herbology dispensary owner Melvin Crawford. “We have done programs with local Montgomery County Police Department and so we work well together."

As of December 1, Maryland has over 50,000 medical marijuana patients with another 300 people registering every day.

Veterans of foreign wars have also flocked to the stores as cannabis helps them deal with PTSD symptoms.

Industry leaders hope and believe that all these factors lead to a dramatic change of policy from state lawmakers in Annapolis.

Dispensary customers who are unable to smoke marijuana are still able to benefit from cannabis health benefits through a wide range of lozenges, vaporizers and topical creams.

 

[Baron23]

Opposition by black church groups is rather wide spread. In MD, there was a big deal over the initial licenses not having any (really enough....cause I have seen the demographics and "none" is not accurate) resulting in racist set asides.

But I have some friends who are black wealthy business men in DC suburbs and asked them why they were not positioning themselves to compete for licenses. I was basically told that many successful people in the black community do not want to be associated in any way whatsoever with any drugs whatsoever. Too many associations with inner city heroin and crack gangs, etc.


Marijuana and kids. Church protesters shout, "NO!"


A small but emotional protest formed outside the future site of a medical marijuana dispensary in the Camp Springs/Temple Hills area Saturday.

“We need to say, “No,” and we need to say, “No,” now!” said Pastor Johnathan Allen as he struck a podium with his fist.

Those holding up the signs around him are members of a small congregation called, Connect Church.

Allen tells WUSA 9 the county is turning a blind eye a dispensary owner, who Allen says is breaking the law. The Pastor talking about a newer measure in Prince George’s County that prohibits medical cannabis dispensaries from operating within so many feet of certain establishments (CB-103-2017).

This includes at least a 500 ft. distance from any Day Care Center for Children or Recreational Program.

It’s not clear when it will open but online the medical marijuana dispensary, JOVA Wellness Center, has a storefront address of 5846 Allentown Way in Camp Springs, MD.

Connect Church used to be located next door at 5850 Allentown Way.

Allen tells WUSA 9 they lost their lease and had to move. However the church has been running a summer day camp called Holiday camp just across the street.

This places the dispensary less than 300 ft. away, according to Pastor Allen and fellow church members.

“Part of our concern is the kids, without a doubt," Allen said. "We’ve had three camps of kids in the community now for over 17 years.”

Allen says they’ve brought this grievance to the Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspection and Enforcement Director multiple times.

“The county has not stepped up and pulled this permit after we informed them," Allen said. "The other issue that we have now is: the owner of that dispensary lied on an Affidavit saying that we wouldn’t even exist as of January, and we were already still hear in the location."

“One of their attorney’s had the nerve to say that these are ‘pop-up camps.’ Isn’t that what he said?” said Allen turning to his fellow church members, “Pop-up camp! We’ve been here 17 years!”

“I want to be clear, our issue is not with legitimate medical marijuana dispensaries. That’s not the issue,” said Associate Pastor, James Love. “The issue is the community has said they don’t want it here.”

“If they can do this, in this neighborhood, it’s just a matter of time before they put it in your neighborhood," Love added.

WUSA 9 reached out to both the dispensary owner and the PGCDPIE Executive Director for comment.

 

[momofthegoons]

But I have some friends who are black wealthy business men in DC suburbs and asked them why they were not positioning themselves to compete for licenses. I was basically told that many successful people in the black community do not want to be associated in any way whatsoever with any drugs whatsoever. Too many associations with inner city heroin and crack gangs, etc.

I would also think that the way cannabis became illegal might have something to do with it; since it was so racially motivated. The stigma was real back then and I would imagine revisiting that wouldn't be attractive.

 

[Baron23]

Missed seeing this actual letter announcement from the MMCC on 18 Dec '19. Wow, Forward Gro was one of the first, is a BIG money grow facility, and I got to know their CFO just a bit and they seemed like very nice people (which, for the vast part I'm sure they are).

BUT, I'm also glad to see MD on top of the situation with testing and adulterants.

The full consent order is found here: https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Documents/12.18.18 FG CO.pdf

 

[Baron23]

Maryland’s first-year medical marijuana sales approach $100 million

Published 8 hours ago | By Maggie Cowee


Maryland’s slow-to-start medical marijuana industry made up for lost time, zooming toward $100 million in first-year sales.

Maryland brought in $95.4 million in dispensary sales between Dec. 1, 2017, and Nov. 30, 2018, averaging 21% monthly growth and peaking in November at $13.8 million.

That total surpassed first-year MMJ sales in Illinois, Massachusetts and New York – combined.

Several factors drove the hot start to Maryland’s MMJ program, namely:

• A solid initial patient base of nearly 11,000 that grew 191% over seven months, finishing out the year with more than 50,000 certified patients. By comparison, Illinois and New York had fewer than 13,000 patients each after one year of sales.
• Increased access. Maryland began sales with 10 dispensaries and ended the year with 71. Illinois began sales with fewer than 40 medical dispensaries and finished the year with 46. New York began with eight and Massachusetts just one – and the two states were slow to add more.
• A list of qualifying conditions that includes chronic pain and a law that allows physicians to recommend MMJ in certain cases for off-list conditions. More than 1,000 medical providers in Maryland have registered to prescribe medical cannabis.
• Flower sales are allowed. This is considered a driving factor of MMJ-market success, as flower traditionally has been the most popular form of cannabis and requires less cost-intensive processing than other products.

Despite a successful ending, the first year was not without challenges.
Cultivation licenses were delayed after claims that minority applicants were at a disadvantage because regulators failed to award them any – and minority applicants only received a handful of retail and processing licenses. This led to the state issuing an independent analysis of industry diversity.

Although a lawsuit filed against the state eventually was settled, the state’s supply of MMJ was squeezed at launch – causing dispensaries to run out of product just days after opening.

And for weeks, dispensaries were plagued by seed-to-sale software issues that caused outages, slowdowns and sales disruptions.

Here’s what else you need to know:

• Maryland recorded more than 2 million transactions during the first year. The average transaction was $47.08.
• The Medical Cannabis Commission’s most recent data indicates the state has 14 cultivators, 14 processors and five testing labs.
• State regulators expect the patient base to grow to 200,000.

 

[Baron23]

"But the state’s regulations do not explicitly address management agreements. The cannabis commission has held that such deals are permissible under the state’s rules so long as ownership of a license does not change hands."​

This is complete and utter BS. These management agreements go like this: "give me 99% of your revenue and I will manage your company....oh, but I don't own it" and our clueless Commission did nothing...and didn't even KNOW that these kind of deals are going on.

We have 15 ea grower and 15 ea processor licenses issued in the state and I absolutely oppose large corp consolidation in this program as it will only raise prices and reduce the diversity of products available.

Its truly sad. So, the legislature will have to spank some Commission heinies.



Maryland marijuana regulators look to General Assembly to help resolve ownership controversy

Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission chairman Brian Lopez attended the policy committee meeting on Tuesday. He said he expects the General Assembly to address concerns about big out-of-state companies taking over small Maryland cannabis firms that hold state licenses. (Doug Donovan / The Baltimore Sun)

Maryland’s medical marijuana regulators said Tuesday that the General Assembly likely will have to clarify whether state rules governing the cannabis industry were meant to prevent big out-of-state companies from dominating the market by taking over homegrown firms.

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission’s policy committee on Tuesday deferred voting on a proposal to amend existing regulations to make clear that companies cannot own more than one license in each of the industry’s three categories: growing cannabis, processing it into products and selling it at dispensaries. Commissioners said they expected the General Assembly to weigh in and decide the matter during the annual 90-day legislative session that begins Wednesday.

Several companies — mostly well-financed, experienced operators from outside of Maryland — have gained control of multiple licenses across categories by entering into “management agreements” with licensed firms for fees or revenue sharing in a state market that generated nearly $100 million in sales in 2018, the industry’s first full year.

Currently regulators must approve any ownership changes that represent control of 5 percent or more of a licensed company. But the state’s regulations do not explicitly address management agreements. The cannabis commission has held that such deals are permissible under the state’s rules so long as ownership of a license does not change hands.

The proposed amendments would require commission approval of all management agreements before they move forward. The changes would also allow the commission to reject any agreements determined to be an “invalid transfer” of ownership or if the management firm does not pass a background check or “for other good cause.”

“Management agreements in and of themselves do not violate regulations,” said Brian Lopez, chairman of the cannabis commission. “It’s when they’re structured to circumvent the ownership rules.”

Several lawmakers said last year they want to change the rules to prevent market consolidation that would hurt Maryland firms. Their concerns arose after The Baltimore Sun reported that several out-of-state firms had entered into management agreements that will effectively give them control of Maryland marijuana companies.

The commission was unaware of three of the deals until notified by The Sun, frustrating some lawmakers.

Massachusetts-based Curaleaf, which has two of its own licenses in Maryland, has offered $30 million to acquire a small Frederick County company authorized to grow, process and sell cannabis. Other large, national companies — MedMen, MPX and GTI — also have pending deals for Maryland firms.

Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, or GTI, stated in investment documents that is has a “controlling ownership over five retail dispensaries” in Anne Arundel, Harford and Montgomery counties. Three of its RISE dispensaries are open in Joppa, Silver Spring and Bethesda.

Del. Cheryl Glenn, a Baltimore Democrat who has worked to establish regulations overseen by the commission, has said she intends to address the issue because legislators are “adamantly opposed to large out-of-state companies coming in and buying up licenses.”

At the policy committee’s meeting Tuesday at the University of Maryland law school in Baltimore, some cannabis company owners said they are upset that other companies have entered into agreements that they expect will be allowed to remain in place. These local owners say the commission had encouraged them to stay away from such deals.

“We’ve been playing by the rules and now we’re being penalized,” said Kevin Goldberg, founder of Frederick-based Green Leaf Medical.

Goldberg said a law passed last year by the Assembly that barred any transfers of license ownership for nearly two years accelerated the use of management agreements by national firms eager to expand market share. He and others said the legislature should eliminate that restriction so that companies such as his can expand, too.

“The toothpaste is out of the tube,” said Goldberg, whose company operates growing and processing operations. “Big companies started to use management agreements to circumvent ownership restrictions. The commission has to accept that consolidation has already happened.”

Bobby Windsor, founder of Nature’s Care & Wellness dispensary in Cecil County, said it’s too late for the state to void existing management agreements.

“All the behind the scene deals are done,” Windsor said. “We haven’t made any deals. We played by the rules.”

Ashlie Bagwell, a lobbyist for the Maryland Medical Dispensary Association, said the danger to independent dispensaries is that dispensaries owned by big companies that grow and process their own marijuana would be able to buy those products for less than independent businesses like Windsor’s. Others said the minority owned license holders whom the commission is beginning to recruit for a new batch of licenses would enter the market at a major disadvantage if consolidation is allowed to continue.

Healthcare entrepreneur and Democratic donor Michael Bronfein leads the Curio Wellness group, which holds licenses to grow, process and sell in Baltimore County. He argued for allowing the management agreements, saying struggling companies would benefit from such deals with seasoned firms.

“You’re taking an option away from them” if management agreements are rejected, Bronfein said.

Andrew Cohen, a partner in Grassroots Cannabis, said his growing and processing company is affiliated with “one of the evil out-of-state” firms” but that he is from Maryland and his operations employ 100 people in the state. To restrict management agreements would hurt companies struggling to get profitable.

“They need to get value out” of their licenses, Cohen said.

 

[Baron23]

This is nice...we haven't had much in the way of MJ shows or other events as our program is only now 12 months old....but its nice to see. Maybe we will have a Maryland Cannabis Cup one day...hmmm? :-)

Aboard the 'canna crawl' bus, Maryland marijuana patients find community, resources

For the first time in five years, Joppa resident Brandon Bevins feels good.

There’s still some pain, but after being diagnosed with bladder cancer at 31, he feels like he’s turning a promising corner. And he owes it all to the medicinal cannabis community, he said.

“When you get sick, man, it really beats you down,” the former nightclub promoter said. “We take care of each other.”

On Tuesday morning, Bevins boarded a bus leaving from Towson to embark on a “canna crawl” with about 20 other Marylanders who have found long-awaited relief with medicinal marijuana.

The bus tour was like a pub crawl, but meant for the state’s cannabis patients to tour and shop at different dispensaries.




Some of the passengers said they had years of experience experimenting with the drug as medication outside of the law, while others described themselves as marijuana “virgins” who once stigmatized the controlled substance but have come to view it through an enlightened lens since it became legal at the state level for certified patients to purchase in December 2017.

“I didn’t know about cannabis as medication,” said Bethany “Betty” Jane, who organized the event and holds a medical marijuana certification for chronic pain. A former journalist, she now runs the “Mary Jane Chronicles” website, which houses a blog as well as a calendar of events she coordinates for patients to connect and find resources.

“Here you can say, ‘I’m hurting,’ and there’s so much support,” the 53-year-old Ellicott City resident said, adding that she’s planning to host more social events through her business in 2019. “We really need events for people to get community support.”




Under Maryland law, patients must be certified by a registered medical provider to be able to buy medical marijuana grown by licensed operators and sold at licensed dispensaries.

During Tuesday’s day-long “canna crawl,” certified patients traveled to dispensaries across Baltimore County, including Chesacanna and KIP in Cockeysville (the latter of which will have its grand opening this weekend), Your Farmacy in Lutherville-Timonium (patients had the opportunity to medicate upstairs at the Holistic Wellness Center of Towson) and Blair Wellness in Towson. Along the route, they shopped for products ranging from pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes to balms and oils and enjoyed day-of discounts, specials and, in some cases, free “swag bags” filled with goodies and informational packets.

The crawlers also met with staffers at each dispensary to discuss symptoms and treatment options and bonded with other patients, some of whom have become friends online through marijuana-centered Facebook support groups or at other events held throughout the state.

Theresa “Tree” Themelis, 30, and Cyndi Stallings, 59, connected over the summer and realized they both struggled with fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread chronic pain, fatigue, and sleep and mood problems. Since then, they’ve kept in touch, trading tips for pain relief, recommending products to each other and sharing stories from their mutual struggle.




“If you can find someone to help you, it’s a much nicer journey,” said Stallings, of Pasadena.

“I felt so alone in this,” Themelis, of Perry Hall, added. “This is something I always felt like I had to hide.”

Green Leaf Medical, a Frederick-based cultivator of medical cannabis, sponsored Tuesday’s event and will sponsor another such “canna crawl” for Montgomery County dispensaries on Jan. 17, said Eric Berman, the grower’s business development official. He said his company supports the idea of the crawl so that patients can make connections and learn more about what’s available to them.

As of November 2018, over 70,000 patients in Maryland had registered with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission. Dispensary sales topped $95 million by the end of last year, blowing by projections from one of the cannabis industry’s leading market research firms.

Bevins, who boarded the “canna crawl” bus to meet new people, said the event represents the community’s willingness to “look where others won’t” for solace and solutions to complex problems.

“We’re pioneers,” he said. “There’s just such good energy here.”

 

[Baron23]

Its ok...politicians are using cannabis legalization to generate more money to use to burnish their re-election credentials while i'm fine with using politicians greed and demands for always more money (and I do live in the socialist county of Montgomery) to advance legalization. All good...but I still hold almost all of them in contempt.

Cannabis legalization could help fund education needs in Maryland

The Maryland General Assembly is back in session, and the state’s education needs could mean that cannabis legalization will be a major policy contender in 2019. Several lawmakers recently voiced their concerns about Maryland’s education funding — or lack thereof — and some are weighing all viable options to get the necessary resources.

According to WTOP, State Sen. Craig Zucker said he would like “to make Maryland schools No. 1 again.” And State Del. Julian Ivey said his district’s schools “can’t cover the cost called for in the Kirwan Commission’s report on education policy,” which cites a need for $4 billion in additional revenue to support the state’s education system. What’s more, the report revealed that despite Maryland’s previous investments in pre-K through 12th-grade education, its system is “average at best within the U.S.”

In other words, the report states Maryland must face the reality that “its students still perform in the middle of the pack within the U.S., which is in the middle of the pack against the rest of the modern world.”

“We’re going to have to have some very tough conversations,” Ivey said on the first day of the general assembly meeting, which lasts three months.

Cannabis legalization, he continued, could provide a much-needed funding source for Maryland’s education initiatives. WTOP reports that he called it something lawmakers should strongly consider.

“It has to be something that we talk about,” he said, before adding that sports gambling could also bring in additional funds into the state. A bill to legalize sports betting in the Old Line State failed in the last session of state legislature, according to CBS Baltimore, but it’s likely to be reintroduced next year.

Ivey said he understands that not everyone is on board with adult-use legalization and gathering support for such a framework would likely be an uphill battle.

That said, Maryland lawmakers showed strong support for making prescription drugs more affordable as a way to generate income to put toward education. Several outlets report that this may actually pave the way for recreational cannabis.

Michael Busch, the House Speaker, told Education Week that lawmakers plan to study how to implement adult-use cannabis if Maryland voters decide to legalize it, which could happen as soon as next year.

“Whether you support it or whether you don’t support it personally, I think that’s the future,” Busch said during the Annapolis Summit. “I think you’re going to see the country go to legalizing recreational marijuana and, you know, it’ll be much like overturning prohibition.”

Maryland has made strides toward a more progressive cannabis policy by decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana and permitting medical cannabis statewide. And in 2017, Senate Bill 949 became law, which makes it easier for people who have been convicted of marijuana possession to clear their records.

But the state has struggled in other ways.

Just last month, the state’s body of cannabis policymakers, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, implemented several strict regulations regarding advertisements for cannabis products and services. Ads are not allowed on billboards, radio, TV, or public property. Ads aren’t permitted in print publications either, “unless at least 85 percent of the audience is reasonably expected to be 18 years of age or older, as determined by reliable and current audience composition data.”

In essence, the commission effectively banned all advertising for anything associated with medical cannabis consumption. But as the wave of legalization continues to permeate even the most anti-pot towns and states, perhaps Maryland’s rigidity will soften, too– you know, in the name of bettering education.

 

[Baron23]

This is too stupid for words...I mean, we are in true cretin and imbecile territory.

So, Baltimore's State's Attorney says she will NOT prosecute MJ simple possession cases.

The Acting Police Chief then says he doesn't care, he will have his force continuing to arrest people for MJ.

Now understand, please, that Baltimore in the midst of a massive murder and crime streak...the raise of which followed the Freddy Gray case, draw your own conclusions.....and this waste of protoplasm wants his cops to be off the street booking an arrest that he KNOWS will not be prosecuted.

Can a police chief be fired for raw buffoonery?


The Latest: Police to continue making pot possession arrests

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Latest on decision by Baltimore’s top prosecutor to cease prosecution of any marijuana possession cases (all times local):

4 p.m.

Baltimore’s acting police leader says officers will continue making arrests for pot possession, hours after the city’s top prosecutor says her office will no longer prosecute such cases.

Acting Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle said Tuesday that Baltimore’s officers will keep making arrests for illegal marijuana possession under the law. He says they will only stop doing so if Maryland’s legislature ever changes the law to make all possession legal.

Maryland’s governor signed legislation in 2014 that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis. But marijuana possession above small amounts remains illegal in Maryland.

Asked what she would do if police presented her with a pot possession arrest in coming days, Mosby says her office would “release them without charges.”

___

11:30 a.m.

The state’s attorney in Baltimore says her office will no longer prosecute any marijuana possession cases, regardless of the quantity of the drug or an individual’s prior criminal record.

Marilyn Mosby says pot possession cases have no public safety value, waste money, and disproportionately impact communities of color. She says “no one who is serious about public safety can honestly say that spending resources to jail people for marijuana use is a smart way to use our limited time and money.”

Mosby says her office will still go after dealers and traffickers by prosecuting marijuana distribution cases.

But she says her office is seeking to vacate some 5,000 prior marijuana possession convictions dating to 2011. She says jailing people for marijuana possession is an “ongoing moral failure.”

 

[Baron23]

Pot brownies, and other edibles, could be next for Maryland’s medical marijuana industry

Medical marijuana patients can choose from a variety of flowers, pre-rolls and tinctures when they come to Potomac Holistics in Rockville.

What they cannot get are cannabis-infused edibles like brownies and chocolates. And customers ask for items like those “all the time,” said manager Jacob Lawrence.

“We sell them the flower and tell them to do their research on Google,” Lawrence explained, noting that recipes for edibles are easy to find online.

But he said customers are often nervous about getting the dosage correct when they are doing their own cooking, and about the smell that results from baking with cannabis.

“I like the smell,” he said, “But a lot of people who have pain also have children, and they don’t always want their children to know they are using marijuana.”

When Maryland launched its medical marijuana industry a few years ago, state lawmakers did not allow edibles, worried about their appeal to minors and whether they would have to be regulated as food products.

A bill being considered in the General Assembly this legislative session would eliminate that prohibition, allowing edibles to be sold in dispensaries and regulated by the state’s medical cannabis commission.

The bill, which was discussed in the Health and Government Operations committee hearing this week, is not yet scheduled for a committee vote.

“Brownies are wonderful,” committee chair Shane Pendergrass (D-Howard County) said when asked about the bill. “That’s all I need to say.”

[Cooking with cannabis classes, where you can make your own edibles]

Edibles — which are permitted in most of the jurisdictions nationwide that have legalized medical marijuana — provide an alternative for patients who would rather not smoke or who need the long-term pain relief that comes with ingesting cannabis, advocates say.

Regulating and selling the products in stores, they say, would also reduce the risk that comes when customers take the dosing and baking into their own hands.

“It’s kind of like a Wild West out there,” said Michael Chiaramonte, a physician who owns Haven dispensary in Brandywine and is president of the Maryland Medical Dispensary Association.

Most marijuana-related emergency room visits, he said, are caused by people who ingest too much THC in edibles.

“If the industry can produce it in a standardized fashion, then it will be much safer,” he said.

Depending on the dosage, the relief provided by edibles can last for up to six hours, compared to between one and two hours when smoking or vaping.

In addition to Maryland, the jurisdictions where medical cannabis is legal but edibles are banned are Hawaii, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Dakota, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a nonprofit focused on marijuana policy reforms.

Ten states and the District have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, and all of them allow edibles, although Maine and Michigan are still finalizing their regulations for the products.

Lawmakers in Maryland have said they will consider a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in 2020.

State Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-Baltimore), who sponsored the edibles bill, said marijuana products that could be eaten were banned in the legislation that legalized medical marijuana because supporters of the industry wanted to minimize possible sources of controversy.

“It was very, very, very difficult to get this bill passed,” she said, noting that she began pushing to legalize medical marijuana when she first took office in 2007. Legislation was not passed until 2013, and the first dispensaries did not open until 2017.

[Maryland’s medical cannabis stores are already running out of pot]

Glenn, who is registered with the state’s medical marijuana program for her arthritis, said she likes the idea of edibles because she hates taking pills, and “it doesn’t appear as medicinal as other forms.”

“I think they give people a higher level of comfort,” Glenn said.

The state now has nearly 55,000 certified medical marijuana patients, Joy Strand, the commission’s executive director, said at the hearing. The industry finished its first year of operation last year with $96.3 million in sales.

Maryland cannabis dispensaries are allowed to sell oils, tinctures and elixirs that can be ingested, which experts say has created a gray zone when it comes to what does and does not count as an “edible.” Glenn’s legislation would clarify what is allowed, they say.

At the hearing, House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County) wondered aloud how to make sure the industry does not begin producing “lollipops that look like teddy bears,” which children could get their hands on even though state law limits medical cannabis to people 18 and older.

Glenn said the medical marijuana industry is no different from other medical industries, and would create packaging and child-proofing to keep cannabis edibles away from children. The commission would be responsible for creating those regulations.

When Glenn filed her bill in November, it used the term “food” to describe edibles, which would have meant that the Department of Health would have shared regulatory responsibilities with the cannabis commission.

To avoid “doubling the amount of regulatory work” necessary, the commission submitted an amendment that would change the term to “edible cannabis product,” explained William Tilburg, director of policy and government relations for the commission.

Another amendment to the bill also clarifies that the commission will establish regulations for edibles that stipulate what will be allowed in Maryland dispensaries.

Different states have adopted a range of regulations, according to a list compiled by the Marijuana Policy Project. In Utah, for example, edibles are permitted only if they are in a cube or rectangular shape, and in Connecticut, they cannot be allowed in the form of candy.

“It’s a line-drawing question,” Tilburg said.

 

[Baron23]

From the Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition....if you live in MD, please go to their website and access their legislator email/letter function

This week, lawmakers introduced legislation to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older! Earlier this year, House Speaker Mike Busch and Senate President Mike Miller announced plans to create a work group to study how to best implement the legalization of marijuana.

Delegate Eric Luedtke and Senator Will Smith have introduced a pair of bills, HB0656 and SB0771, to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older and automatically expunge convictions for possession and cultivation that would become legal under the bill. You can read a summary of the bill here.

Meanwhile, Delegate David Moon has introduced a constitutional amendment bill, HB0632, to legalize marijuana for adults' use, which would require voter approval in 2020.

Email your state legislators today to urge them to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older!

The majority of Marylanders support ending the failed policy of marijuana prohibition. It is time for Marylanders to pressure the General Assembly to end marijuana prohibition and expunge records for past convictions.

Please contact your lawmakers today. Then, forward this message to your friends and family in Maryland. Together, we can end prohibition!

 

[deep_meditation]

Pot brownies, and other edibles, could be next for Maryland’s medical marijuana industry

Medical marijuana patients can choose from a variety of flowers, pre-rolls and tinctures when they come to Potomac Holistics in Rockville.

What they cannot get are cannabis-infused edibles like brownies and chocolates. And customers ask for items like those “all the time,” said manager Jacob Lawrence.

“We sell them the flower and tell them to do their research on Google,” Lawrence explained, noting that recipes for edibles are easy to find online.

But he said customers are often nervous about getting the dosage correct when they are doing their own cooking, and about the smell that results from baking with cannabis.

“I like the smell,” he said, “But a lot of people who have pain also have children, and they don’t always want their children to know they are using marijuana.”

When Maryland launched its medical marijuana industry a few years ago, state lawmakers did not allow edibles, worried about their appeal to minors and whether they would have to be regulated as food products.

A bill being considered in the General Assembly this legislative session would eliminate that prohibition, allowing edibles to be sold in dispensaries and regulated by the state’s medical cannabis commission.

The bill, which was discussed in the Health and Government Operations committee hearing this week, is not yet scheduled for a committee vote.

“Brownies are wonderful,” committee chair Shane Pendergrass (D-Howard County) said when asked about the bill. “That’s all I need to say.”

[Cooking with cannabis classes, where you can make your own edibles]

Edibles — which are permitted in most of the jurisdictions nationwide that have legalized medical marijuana — provide an alternative for patients who would rather not smoke or who need the long-term pain relief that comes with ingesting cannabis, advocates say.

Regulating and selling the products in stores, they say, would also reduce the risk that comes when customers take the dosing and baking into their own hands.

“It’s kind of like a Wild West out there,” said Michael Chiaramonte, a physician who owns Haven dispensary in Brandywine and is president of the Maryland Medical Dispensary Association.

Most marijuana-related emergency room visits, he said, are caused by people who ingest too much THC in edibles.

“If the industry can produce it in a standardized fashion, then it will be much safer,” he said.

Depending on the dosage, the relief provided by edibles can last for up to six hours, compared to between one and two hours when smoking or vaping.

In addition to Maryland, the jurisdictions where medical cannabis is legal but edibles are banned are Hawaii, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Dakota, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a nonprofit focused on marijuana policy reforms.

Ten states and the District have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, and all of them allow edibles, although Maine and Michigan are still finalizing their regulations for the products.

Lawmakers in Maryland have said they will consider a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in 2020.

State Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-Baltimore), who sponsored the edibles bill, said marijuana products that could be eaten were banned in the legislation that legalized medical marijuana because supporters of the industry wanted to minimize possible sources of controversy.

“It was very, very, very difficult to get this bill passed,” she said, noting that she began pushing to legalize medical marijuana when she first took office in 2007. Legislation was not passed until 2013, and the first dispensaries did not open until 2017.

[Maryland’s medical cannabis stores are already running out of pot]

Glenn, who is registered with the state’s medical marijuana program for her arthritis, said she likes the idea of edibles because she hates taking pills, and “it doesn’t appear as medicinal as other forms.”

“I think they give people a higher level of comfort,” Glenn said.

The state now has nearly 55,000 certified medical marijuana patients, Joy Strand, the commission’s executive director, said at the hearing. The industry finished its first year of operation last year with $96.3 million in sales.

Maryland cannabis dispensaries are allowed to sell oils, tinctures and elixirs that can be ingested, which experts say has created a gray zone when it comes to what does and does not count as an “edible.” Glenn’s legislation would clarify what is allowed, they say.

At the hearing, House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County) wondered aloud how to make sure the industry does not begin producing “lollipops that look like teddy bears,” which children could get their hands on even though state law limits medical cannabis to people 18 and older.

Glenn said the medical marijuana industry is no different from other medical industries, and would create packaging and child-proofing to keep cannabis edibles away from children. The commission would be responsible for creating those regulations.

When Glenn filed her bill in November, it used the term “food” to describe edibles, which would have meant that the Department of Health would have shared regulatory responsibilities with the cannabis commission.

To avoid “doubling the amount of regulatory work” necessary, the commission submitted an amendment that would change the term to “edible cannabis product,” explained William Tilburg, director of policy and government relations for the commission.

Another amendment to the bill also clarifies that the commission will establish regulations for edibles that stipulate what will be allowed in Maryland dispensaries.

Different states have adopted a range of regulations, according to a list compiled by the Marijuana Policy Project. In Utah, for example, edibles are permitted only if they are in a cube or rectangular shape, and in Connecticut, they cannot be allowed in the form of candy.

“It’s a line-drawing question,” Tilburg said.

The edibles in DC are decent. I’ve tried a variety of chocolate, lozenges, capsules, crisps and butter. I think the crisps were about 45mg each so I cut them into 4 pieces. I’ll try the oat bars next.

Edit: Sorry, this should have been a quote/reply to barons post.

 

[Baron23]

I predict that this will NOT pass this legislative session.

Maryland lawmakers introducing legislation to end cannabis prohibition

State lawmakers in both chambers filed legislation Wednesday that would end cannabis prohibition in Maryland.

SB0771, sponsored by Sen. William C. Smith, Jr., and HB0656, sponsored by Del. Eric Luedtke, would make cannabis legal for adults 21 and older and establish a system in which cannabis is regulated and taxed for adult use. Past convictions for cannabis possession and cultivation would be automatically expunged. A summary of the legislation is available at http://bit.ly/HB0656-SB0771.

Del. David Moon filed a constitutional amendment, HB0632, which would establish a similar system. If enacted, it would be placed on the ballot and decided by Maryland voters in November.

“A strong and steadily growing majority of Marylanders think it is time to end cannabis prohibition,” said Olivia Naugle, legislative coordinator for the Marijuana Policy Project. “One way or another, cannabis is going to become legal for adults in Maryland.

“These bills propose a sensible system in which cannabis is regulated, taxed, and treated similarly to alcohol,” Naugle said. “They would bring cannabis production and sales above ground so that they can be conducted by licensed, taxpaying businesses rather than criminal enterprises. Most importantly, this legislation would improve public health and safety, but it would also have the bonus of generating significant new tax revenue for the state.”

A September 2018 Goucher Poll found 62 percent of state residents support making cannabis legal for adult use, up from 58 percent in 2017 and 54 percent in 2016. Only one-third of residents are opposed, according to the 2018 poll.

“States around the country are rolling back prohibition and finding that regulating cannabis works,” Naugle said. “Maryland has the opportunity to learn from other states, determine what has worked and what can be improved, and develop a system that can serve as an example for the rest of the country.”

Nine states have enacted laws regulating and taxing marijuana for adult use. In addition, Vermont and Washington, D.C. have enacted laws making marijuana possession and cultivation legal for adults, and their governments are now considering proposals to regulate commercial production and sales.

 

[Baron23]

From Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition

Yesterday, House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Mike Miller created a work group to study legalizing marijuana for adult use. The work group, which was announced in December, will be analyzing legalization-related topics such as the impact on the criminal justice system, how to promote participation by small, minority-owed and woman-owned businesses, public health effects, and how the state should license and tax the industry. The group's report is due by December 31, 2019.

Please ask your state delegate(s) and senator to support legislation to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older!

In other news, the hearings for the bills to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adult use this session have been scheduled. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will hear Sen. Will Smith's SB 771 on Tuesday, February 26 at 12:00 p.m. Del. Eric Luedtke's twin bill, HB 656, will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m. You can find a summary of the bills here. The House Judiciary Committee will also hear Del. David Moon's constitutional amendment bill to legalize marijuana for adult use on Wednesday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m.

Note that many bills are on the committees' agendas, so the cannabis bills may not be heard until several hours later.

You can voice your support by providing written or oral testimony at the hearings! We particularly encourage testimony from supportive law enforcement, clergy, substance abuse and medical professionals, educators, and those who have been harmed by marijuana prohibition.

You can find details on how to provide testimony for the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee here and for the House Judiciary Committee here. If you provide oral testimony, you will be limited to three minutes. Please be polite and respectful, dress in business or business casual attire, and avoid repeating points that have already been made.

Please show your support at the upcoming bill hearings, contact your lawmakers, and spread the word to your friends and family in Maryland. Together, we can end prohibition!

 

[Baron23]

So, I send these MD MJ Policy Coalition emails when I get solicited for them. Yes, both I and the politicians know its a form letter but its better than nothing and I often add a closing paragraph or two.

I did get this reply back today which is somewhat gratifying:

Dear Mr. Baron23,


Thank you for your email. I am supportive of legalizing recreational cannabis and taxing the sales. I’m co-sponsoring two bills this year that advance cannabis legalization. HB 656, as you mention, would legalize cannabis. HB 632 would send the issue to a ballot referendum for voters’ approval.

Best,

Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr
District 17
410-841-3037
Room 221, House Office Building
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401

 

[momofthegoons]

and I often add a closing paragraph or two.

Imagine my shock!

However getting a response like you did is nice... and a good sign for Maryland.

 

[Baron23]

Imagine my shock!

Are you implying that I'm opinionated? Hmmmmm? haha

 

[Baron23]

"Her primary concern, which was also expressed by several committee members throughout the hearing, was that Maryland’s legal cannabis system would exclude, or make it difficult for, people of color to participate in the industry."​

Its always the race card in this state....always. Anymore, its just another special interest group looking to lobby for their carve out....

Key Maryland Committee Holds Hearing On Two Marijuana Legalization Bills

A Maryland House committee took testimony on two bills to legalize marijuana on Wednesday.

Several panels of witnesses appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to speak about the legislation during a lengthy hearing, with experts from organizations such as Law Enforcement Action Partnership challenging the ongoing criminalization of cannabis.

One bill, sponsored by Del. Eric Luedtke (D), would allow adults 21 and older to possess, cultivate, consume and purchase marijuana. Legal possession would be limited to one ounce for flower and five grams of concentrate, and individuals could grow up to four plants at a time.

Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D), the vice chairwoman of the committee, said that she’s been “fundamentally opposed to [legalization] in previous years,” but that she’s now more “in the mindset that it’s been growing on me.”

Her primary concern, which was also expressed by several committee members throughout the hearing, was that Maryland’s legal cannabis system would exclude, or make it difficult for, people of color to participate in the industry.

Luedtke and Del. David Moon (D), who sponsored a separate bill that would amend the state constitution to legalize marijuana for adult use—which would require voters to approve the measure via a ballot question—assured the committee that they would fight for social equity provisions such as expungements and inclusive licensing via a working group on the issue.

That working group was announced by leaders in the legislature last month, indicating that the current cannabis bills likely won’t advance this session. It was put together to study various aspects of legalization such as tax rates, licensing and restorative justice in the run-up to the 2020 session.

“While we’d love to see the Maryland legislature pass a bill to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana for adults’ use this year, the momentum is for passage in 2020,” Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment. “In the coming months, a legislative task force will do a deep dive into the issues related to ending marijuana prohibition.”

“The three bills under consideration are important to move the conversation forward, and to ensure the discussion includes robust expungement provisions and a diverse industry that includes opportunities for small businesses,” she said.

Other concerns that members raised included how to combat impaired driving, funding education programs to deter youth consumption and resolving banking issues in the cannabis industry.

One individual who testified said that he’s been convicted for marijuana-related offenses three times and implored the bill sponsors to consider amending the legislation to increase the possession and cultivation limits. (Moon’s bill also caps possession at one ounce, but it would only allow for the cultivation of four plants.)

There were also plenty of cannabis jokes going around at the hearing. Luke Clippinger (D), chair of the committee, said he was disappointed that nobody laughed when he emphasized that the legalization bill was being heard in a joint committee. And another member said he had invested in marijuana stocks but they’d all “gone to pot.”

Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has expressed reservations about legalization. Though he said the policy is “worth taking a look at” last year, he also said he feels it would be “premature” to pass such legislation now. There are existing “kinks” in the state’s medical cannabis program that need to be addressed first, he said.

 

[Baron23]

Once again, state government is anxious to sell out to large corporations. This bill should be killed and legal action taken where necessary to enforce the local ownership/small business model.

Maryland Senate poised to ease ownership limits on marijuana dispensaries, despite outcry from small firms

Maryland’s medical cannabis industry has been targeted for months by big out-of-state corporations trying to dominate the market by taking control of multiple marijuana stores despite a regulation that limits ownership to just one dispensary.

The corporations have been evading the limit by using management agreements in which they pay a fee to state-licensed dispensary owners, who then effectively turn over their operations.

Several state lawmakers vowed to address the situation this year after an investigation by The Baltimore Sun in November revealed the practice. as well as the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission’s failure to curtail consolidation that threatens to push homegrown firms out of business.

But the only legislation that claims it seeks to prevent consolidation could instead accelerate it, several dispensary owners say.

A bill poised to win approval in the Maryland Senate this week calls for scrapping the one-dispensary rule, and a loophole allowing for management agreements. The new law would impose a five-dispensary limit on owning or managing cannabis stores.

Sen. Bobby Zirkin, a Baltimore County Democrat, said current rules need to change because large cannabis corporations with years of experience are using them to gain an advantage over small Maryland businesses just getting off the ground. Equipped with existing revenues and expertise from operating in other states, the bigger companies are entering management agreements that smaller firms are unable to execute.

“We needed to act to stop the potential for management agreements to usurp the entire industry,” Zirkin said. He said that contrary to the intent of state regulators, the current loophole means that could happen.

“As we stand here today, it’s limitless,” Zirkin said Tuesday. “If we don’t do something, one Colorado company could come in and have an interest in all 100-and-some-odd dispensary licenses. We can’t have that. That’s a complete monopoly.”

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, which Zirkin chairs, approved the measure last week. The Senate is expected to consider the bill Wednesday.

Supporters of the bill say a five-dispensary cap would limit expansion by out-of-state corporations, while also providing an option for small businesses currently operating in Maryland to expand.

But opponents say the measure contradicts the state’s original intent of encouraging an industry dominated by small Maryland businesses. There are ongoing efforts to help launch operations owned by minorities and women largely shut out of the initial licensing process.

Regulations issued by the Medical Cannabis Commission allow companies to own no more than one license in each of the state’s three categories — growing marijuana, processing it into medical products and selling them from retail stores called dispensaries. And a law that took effect in May imposed a moratorium on selling cannabis businesses through the end of this year, in part to avoid the type of consolidation that out-of-state companies are trying to execute.

The Sun investigation found that several large out-of-state companies have either taken control of multiple dispensaries through management agreements or are poised to acquire businesses with Maryland licenses. The commission was unaware of several of those deals until informed by The Sun.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Chris West, said the cannabis commission misinterpreted state law when it sought to impose the one-dispensary limit. (Commission officials note that that the Maryland attorney general’s office endorsed the panel’s interpretation of state law. A letter from the attorney general’s office states that allowing companies to control multiple licenses could “put smaller operations out of business and risks the creation of monopolies.”)

West, a Baltimore County Republican, argues that the five-store cap could help small independent operators by allowing them to sell to another dispensary owner if they run into financial difficulties.

Nonetheless, Dr. Michael Chiaramonte, president of the Maryland Medical Dispensary Association, said his group believes it is “premature to change the ownership structure.”

There are currently 71 dispensaries operating in Maryland and another 31 in a pre-approval stage. Those pending stores have faced many types of delays, including local zoning issues.

“So before we even started, we’re changing the entire ownership structure,” Chiaramonte said.

And the result, he said, would be to transform an industry dominated by Maryland small businesses into one controlled by large out-of-state companies, a trend that management agreements have already started.

Bobby Windsor, owner of Nature’s Care & Wellness dispensary in Perryville, said Maryland designed its cannabis program “to give everyone an even-playing field.”

The Senate bill “is changing the whole game,” he said.

The Sun reported last year that several big corporations that are traded publicly on the Canadian Securities Exchange — MedMen, MPX, GTI, Curaleaf — had all entered into management agreements to effectively take over operations of firms with licenses to grow and sell in Maryland.

Windsor said West’s bill would “reward” those companies for their behavior.

“All the independents who are new to the industry were working to get open while all these big companies were making deals behind the scene,” Windsor said.

Zeina Frayha sank much of her life savings into opening the HerbaFi dispensary in Silver Spring last May because the one-store system appeared to be fair enough to let her compete. Allowing ownership of five dispensaries could put her out of business, she said.

“It crushes anyone who is not a conglomerate,” Frayha said of West’s proposal. “It’s going to be eight to 10 companies” owning a majority of the market.

Jamie Delgado of Greenhouse Wellness dispensary in Ellicott City testified against the bill last week, saying it would “eliminate fair business practices” unless the state forbids growers from selling their products at different prices to different dispensaries.

“The onslaught of management agreements is causing monopolistic pricing in the industry,” Delgado said. “This will only get worse if a single entity is allowed to control [five] dispensaries.”

She also said expanding ownership would undermine the state’s current process of awarding new grower and processor licenses to minority and women owned companies that were largely left out of the industry.

Sen. Jill Carter, a Baltimore Democrat, voted against West’s measure in committee because she fears it does not consider the state’s desire to include more minority firms.

“We’re not doing enough for inclusion,” Carter said.