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Law Maryland MMJ

Personally, I don't see it happening in 2018. Maryland is an extremely blue state and while our politicians like to preen and congratulate themselves on being so liberal and open minded, they are also rabid defenders of the power of the "nanny state" to control individual behavior.

Maybe in a few years but certainly not in 2018 while the state is still struggling to fully implement the medical program we have here.

This State Could Be Next To Vote On Recreational Marijuana
Could Maryland be the next domino to fall? This state could be next to vote on recreational marijuana.


Despite the federal government’s best efforts to deter states from cannabis legalization, another state could very well be on its way to legalizing the plant, as Maryland has begun the process of potentially implementing a new bill that would legalize recreational cannabis throughout the state. That’s right: this state could be next to vote on recreational marijuana.

Is Maryland Next?
Although legalization remains a large possibility, Maryland residents remain at odds over the passing of Senate Bill 1039, which would effectively make recreational cannabis legal.

Under the proposed legislation, those over 21 could purchase and carry up to an ounce of cannabis and grow as many as six plants for both personal and shared use.

On Tuesdays, lawmakers, advocates and prohibitionists met in Annapolis to discuss the pros and cons of recreational cannabis legalization.

Supporters argued that the inception of recreational cannabis could help keep people out of jail for petty marijuana crimes while providing funding for local municipalities.


“To be honest with you, I think it’s past time. It’s something that causes thousands of people every year to enter into the criminal justice system,” said Kate Bell of the Marijuana Policy Project. “In fact, we’ve seen some of the funding raised from legalization go to public education programs for people.”

Opponents pointed to potential road havoc caused by the recreational use of THC, considering there’s no suitable way to prohibit and regulate driving under the influence of cannabis. Ragina Cooper Averella of AAA says to look no further than the influx of fatal car crashes and arrests since the plant was legalized back in 2014.

“How does the user know that they’re safe to drive? it’s not like alcohol where you can say at .08 you’re considered legally drunk,” Cooper said. “At this point, we know that the state of Maryland is woefully ill-prepared to deal with the consequences of legalizing marijuana here in the state.”

Final Hit: This State Could Be Next To Vote On Recreational Marijuana
Although the bill would need an approval from state lawmakers before Maryland residents can vote on the legislation themselves, the fact that lawmakers are willing to at least hear pit both sides of the spectrum should bode well for potential legalization.

If Maryland does manage to get the bill passed, it will mark yet another victory for cannabis legalization in 2018.
 
Maryland: Legalizing marijuana and other pot proposals await action

Pot is hot for Maryland lawmakers in Annapolis this year.

The General Assembly is considering more than two dozen bills on marijuana — or cannabis, as the substance is called when used as a medicine.

For marijuana enthusiasts, full legalization for recreational purposes is at the top of the wish list. Bills in both the House and the Senate would put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to let voters decide whether to replace prohibition with a system of regulated sales and taxation.

Kate Bell, legislative counsel for the Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project, said voters are ready to decide the issue.

“It’s an election year. It’s an incredibly popular issue with the public,” Bell said. “But lawmakers seem to be lagging behind.”
To pass, a constitutional amendment must be approved by two-thirds of both the House and the Senate and then by voters. The governor may not veto it.

The legalization amendment would allow people 21 and older to grow and use marijuana. The Senate held a hearing on it last week. The House has scheduled a hearing next month.

Legislative leaders are warning enthusiasts not to get their hopes up. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller is on the record as supporting legalization, but is unlikely to move forward unless he’s sure the House will too. The House’s Democratic leaders doubt they have the 85 votes it would take to put the question on the ballot.

“Putting my personal feelings aside, I don’t think that is going to happen this year,” said state Sen. Robert A. Zirkin, the Baltimore County Democrat who chairs the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
If legalization doesn’t pass this year, Bell says, her group hopes two decriminalization bills succeed.

The measures, both sponsored by Zirkin, would expand the state’s current decriminalization scheme — in place since 2014 — by making it harder for police to bring felony charges based on possession.

Story Continues Below


One would nearly triple the amount of marijuana a person could possess without committing a felony from 10 grams to 1 ounce. Another would specify that people found with an ounce or less are not committing the felony of possession with intent to distribute.

Zirkin said police are still charging people with 8 grams of marijuana as distributors because they had the drug in more than one plastic bag. He said that’s not a responsible use of police resources. He said other states that have decriminalized possession of small amounts have set an ounce as the limit.

“We’re on an island alone with the 10 grams,” Zirkin said. He said he couldn’t yet gauge the bills’ prospects, but believed any vote would be close.

Other bills would tweak Maryland’s medical cannabis system. The system started to get off the ground in late 2017 after years of false starts.

Different proposals would:

  • Limit the ways in which cannabis may be advertised,
  • Authorize the use of cannabis for treating heroin addiction,
  • Allow businesses to deduct cannabis-related expenses on their taxes, and
  • Prohibit employers from discriminating against medical cannabis users.
Republican-backed measures would allow medical cannabis patients to buy guns.

The bills are all in their early stages, awaiting either committee hearings or votes.

Lawmakers are also considering legislation that would increase the number of growers’ licenses and encourage greater racial diversity in the medical cannabis industry, a high priority for legislative leaders after a deal to achieve those ends fell apart at the end of last year’s session. While legislative leaders hoped to get the bill done early in the session, it has languished in a House committee since a hearing last month.

Del. Cheryl D. Glenn, the Baltimore Democrat who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said last week that she’s not worried about the delay. She said the House Health and Government Operations Committee has been taking its time in an effort to accommodate the concerns of her caucus members. She’s optimistic the legislation could receive committee approval this week.

Glenn said she’s been communicating with the two Senate committee chairs who will deal with the legislation, Thomas M. “Mac” Middleton, who chairs the Finance Committee, and Joan Carter Conway, who chairs the Education, Health and the Environment Committee, and knows of no substantial impediments to passage there.

“Once it gets out of the House, I don’t expect any problems,” she said.

Del. Shane E. Pendergrass, the Howard County Democrat who chairs the House health committee, was a bit more cautious. She expects the bill to go to the floor late this week or early next week.

Pendergrass said she gets nervous when legislation goes too deep into the 90-day session without a resolution. But she’s optimistic the bill will pass.

“With a bill like this, there are always concerns, but I think we’re OK,” she said.
 
We are now up to 39 final licensed dispensaries out of 102 prelim licenses issued.

1. Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary (Allegany County)
License No.: D-17-00005
100 Beall Street
Cumberland, MD 21502


Note: MMCC screwed this entry up on their website...not sure of the name
License No.: D-18-00004
4710 Auth Place, Suite 595
Suitland, MD 20746


3. Chesapeake Alternatives LLC (dba Rise Bethesda) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-000010
10401 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 210
Bethesda, MD 20814



4. Cannabus LLC (dba Potomac Holistics) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00003
14808 Physicians Lane, Suite 212
Rockville, MD 20850


5. Charm City Medicus (Baltimore County)
License No.: D-17-00013
717 North Point Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21224


6. Chesapeake Apothecary LLC (Charles County)
License No.: D-18-00017
4781 Crain Highway, Suite A
White Plains, MD 20695


7. Curio Wellness LLC (Baltimore County)
License No.: D-18-00012
2060-A York Road
Timonium, MD 21093


8. CWS LLC (dba Your Farmacy) (Baltimore County)
License No.: D-18-00015
1526 York Road
Lutherville, MD 21093


9. Euphoria Wellness Maryland (Frederick County)
License No.: D-18-00001
11717 Old National Pike
New Market, MD 21774


10. Freestate Partners LLC (dba Revolution Releaf) (Howard County)
License No.: D-17-00015
9994 Washington Blvd. N.
Laurel, MD 20723


11. Freestate Wellness LLC) (dba Zen Leaf) (Howard County)
License No.: D-17-00019
7221 Montevideo Road, Suite 150
Jessup, MD 20794


12. G & J Pharmaceuticals LLC (dba Greenwave Maryland) (Calvert County)
License No.: D-18-00007
10 Creston Lane #4
Solomons, MD 20688


13. GPD LLC (dba Green Point Wellness) (Anne Arundel County)
License No.: D-18-00003
823 A Elkridge Landing Road
Linthicum, MD 21090


14. Growing Ventures LLC (dba Greenhouse Wellness) (Howard County)
License No.: D-17-00009
4801 Dorsey Hall Drive, Suite 110
Ellicott City, MD 21042


15. GTI Maryland LLC (dba Rise Silver Spring) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00007
7900 Fenton Street
Silver Spring, MD 20910


16. Hallaway LLC (dba Starbuds) (Baltimore

City)
License No.: D-18-0001
5975 Belair Road
Baltimore, MD 21206


17. Harvest of Maryland Dispensary LLC (dba Harvest)
(Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00017
12200 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852


18. Herbiculture INC (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-18-00008
4009 Sandy Spring Road
Burtonsville, MD 20866


19. Hippocratic Growth (dba Ash & Ember) (Queen Anne’s County)
License No.: D-18-00005
202 Coursevail Drive, Suite 109
Centreville, MD 21617


20. HMS Health LLC (dba Zenity Wellness) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-18-00014
811 Russell Avenue, Suite C
Gaithersburg, Md 20878


21. Holistic Industries, LLC (dba Liberty) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-18-00002
12001 Nebel Street
Rockville, MD 20852


22. K & R Holdings INC (dba Kannavis) (Frederick County)
License No.: D-17-00002
3362 Urbana Pike
Ijamesville, MD 21754


23. Maryland Compassionate Care & Wellness (dba Herbalogy)
(Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00011
106 N. Frederick Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877


24. Maryland Wellness Access LLC (dba Remedy Columbia)
(Howard County)
License No.: D-17-00008
6656-E Dobbin Road
Columbia, MD 21046


25. Maryleaf LLC (dba Bloom Medicinals) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00018
11530 Middlebrook Road
Germantown, MD 20876


26. MCNA Wellness LLC (dba Haven) (Prince George’s County)
License No.: D-17-00021
7501 Clymer Drive
Brandywine, MD 20613


27. Medical Products & Services LLC (dba Maggies) (Baltimore City)
License No.: D-17-00020
3317 Keswick Road
Baltimore, MD 21611


28. Nature’s Care & Wellness LLC (Cecil County)
License No.: D-17-00012
4925 Pulaski Highway, Suite A
Perryville, MD 21903


29. OC Botanicals LLC (dba Hi Tide) (Worchester County)
License No.: D-18-00013
12600 Marjan Lane, Unit 100
Ocean City, MD 21842


30. PalliaTech Maryland LLC (dba Curaleaf) (Baltimore County)
License No.: D18-00009
11722 Reisterstown Road
Reisterstown, MD 21136


31. Peninsula Alternative Health LLC (Wicomico County)
License No: D-17-00006
400 Snow Hill Road
Salisbury, MD 21804


32. PharmaKent LLC (Cecil County)
License No.: D-18-00006
330 East Pulaski Highway
Elkton, MD 21921


33. Positive Energy LLC (Worcester County)
License No.: D-17-00022
9939 Jerry Mack Road, Suite 500
Ocean City, MD 219842


34. PureLifeMedical INC (dba PureLifeWellness) (Baltimore City)
License No.: D-17-00016
35 East Cross Street
Baltimore, MD 21230


35. Southern Maryland Relief LLC (St. Mary’s County)
License No.: D-17-00004
28105 Tree Notch Road, Suite 1D
Mechanicsville, MD 20659


36. Temescal Wellness of Maryland LLC (dba Temescal Wellness)
(Baltimore County)
License No.: D-17-00014
1636 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208


37. Three Creeks Dispensary (dba Zen Leaf Waldorf) (Prince George’s County)
License No.: D-18-00016
2290 Old Washington Road, Suite 12383
Waldorf, MD 20601


38. Trilogy Wellness of Maryland LLC (Howard County)
License No.: D-18-00010
9291 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042


39. Wellness Institute of Maryland (Frederick County)
License No.: D-17-00001
4606 Wedgewood Boulevard
Frederick, MD 21703
 
This was inevitable. The basis of allocation of these licenses is racist, but there is no way that MD politicians were going to stand up to Glenn and the BLC.


Md. House votes to add medical marijuana grower licenses

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland House of Delegates has voted to expand the number of licenses allowed to grow medical marijuana to increase minority business ownership.

The House voted 121-16 for the measure on Thursday. The bill now goes to the Senate.

The number of allowed growers would rise from 15 to 20. The measure also would cap the number of marijuana processors at 25.

None of the companies licensed so far to grow marijuana in Maryland has a black owner, even though about one-third of the state’s population is black.

In January, a study conducted for the state found that data on discrimination in Maryland’s overall economy provides “a strong basis in evidence” to support helping businesses owned by women and minorities in industries relevant to the state’s new medical marijuana industry.
 
“Our whole effort for this year is about fairness, and to legislate diversity,”

"“Our whole effort for this year is about fairness" - complete and utter poppycock, this is just a money grab for her constituents

"and to legislate diversity,” - yes, this is absolutely what they are doing. I continue to wonder why legislating diversity is a societal objective vice simple equal opportunity.....and yes, I am familiar with the arguments for "affirmative action" but personally reject them as being essentially race based and hence racist.



Plan to diversify Maryland medical marijuana market might boost white firms instead

For months, Maryland lawmakers have planned to address the lack of diversity in the state’s nascent medical marijuana industry by offering more licenses. A new round of licensing was supposed to give the black-owned firms that were all but shut out of the first round another chance to gain a foothold in the lucrative industry.

But the legislation lawmakers have now come up with favors companies that already hold licenses to grow and process marijuana. Only one of the 30 licenses awarded two years ago is held by a firm owned by African-Americans.

The concept, approved last week by the House of Delegates, would create 15 new licenses, but set aside four of them for companies that already hold licenses.

That has puzzled and rankled black-owned firms. They expected a new round of competition that would eliminate the barriers that prevented most black firms from winning licenses the first time.




Instead, leading state lawmakers chose to designate some licenses for existing winners in the market. Two marijuana growing companies owned by white men — including a top donor to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan — would be among the four to get first dibs at expanding their market share.

The remaining 11 new licenses would be open to competitive bidders in a process that favors minority-owned firms. But those licenses would not be granted until at least a year later.

“The whole idea of it flies in the face of free competition,” said Darryl Hill, a marijuana entrepreneur who has advocated more minority inclusion.

The University of Maryland graduate broke racial barriers by becoming the first African-American to play college football in a formerly whites-only Southern conference, and he has spent the past few decades trying to help minority firms like his break barriers in business.

Hill’s company, Tilstar, already has a dispensary license to sell the drug to consumers in a retail setting. But he had hoped to get a license for the wholesale end of the market, to grow and process marijuana.

It’s that lucrative trifecta of licenses — for growing, processing and dispensing — that entrepreneurs covet, to consolidate their entire supply chain.

Why, Hill and others ask, should the state pick which companies get to achieve that more profitable “vertical integration”?

“I don’t see the logic in giving [those companies] a license because they already have a license,” Hill said. “Are they the best? I don’t know. Maybe. But they should have to prove it.”

Supporters of the bill’s current version — which passed the House of Delegates 121-16 last week — say the state needs to guarantee that this round of licensing establishes companies that can grow, process and sell the drug.

Doing so will achieve three goals, they say: Fulfill broken promises to some existing growers, avoid the possibility that no African-American firms will win in this round and, most importantly, reduce the cost of medical marijuana.

Del. Sandy Rosenberg, a Baltimore Democrat who helped draft the legislation, said combining growing and processing operations under one roof can save money that can be passed on to patients.

Health insurance does not cover medical marijuana. Rosenberg said the fastest way to reduce prices prices for consumers would be to set aside some new licenses to companies that the state has already vetted and are up and running.

The four companies that could get those licenses ranked among the top applicants in the first round.

“These were people who were already qualified,” Rosenberg said. “We were satisfied that was appropriate.”

Two of the four companies are white-owned, one is owned by a family of South Asian descent, and the other is the only black-owned company among growers and processors.

The proposal now moves to the state Senate, where some lawmakers view the plan to designate licenses to specific companies with skepticism.

“I’m not certain that I’m happy about it right now,” said Sen. Joan Carter Conway, the Baltimore Democrat who chairs the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee.




In a state in which nearly a third of the population is black, legislative leaders in both parties agreed that more black-owned firms should share in profits from medical marijuana.

None of the 14 existing growing companies are owned by African-Americans. Just one of the 15 processing companies is.

After the first round of licensing, the Legislative Black Caucus led an uproar about the lack of diversity, and Hogan ordered a disparity study. The authors concluded that minority-owned companies faced disadvantages in the medical marijuana industry, giving state lawmakers legal grounds to create new licenses designated for minority-owned firms.

Companies owned by minorities and women can get an advantage in the ranking process during the next round.

Del. Cheryl D. Glenn, the Baltimore Democrat who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said it’s possible under the current proposal that no African-Americans would win the new licenses, which is why she supported designating one for the only black-owned company currently in the wholesale industry.

The legislation would establish 15 new licenses — five for growing the drug and 10 for processing it into products such as oils or vapor cartridges.

The plan approved by the House would authorize the Medical Cannabis Commission to award one of the 10 new processing licenses to an existing licensed grower, if the grower had applied for a processing license in the first round and ranked among the top 30 applicants.

Three licensed growing companies meet that standard. State regulators had assured each of them that they would be granted a processing license, but they never were.

One of the growers, ForwardGro, is owned by Gary Mangum, a top fundraiser for Hogan.

Hogan’s spokesman, Doug Mayer, said the governor’s office did not lobby to help Mangum.

Gail Rand, a spokeswoman for ForwardGro, said the company built space in its marijuana greenhouse for a processing facility because the cannabis commission had said it ranked high enough to be approved for a new processing license. Regulators later decided not to license any additional processors.

Since then, ForwardGro and other growers have been advocating a system to grant them processing licenses.

Rand said the ability to process the drug would allow growers to eliminate the cost of securely transporting the marijuana flower from their greenhouses to another party for processing.

“We expected the commission to act on this a long time ago,” Rand said. “We’ve been through the whole competitive process. ... Our whole expectation was based on the competitive process.”

The two other growing companies that could benefit from the plan — HMS Health in Frederick County and Harvest of Maryland in Western Maryland — did not respond for requests for comment.

HMS Health is owned by Shakil Siddiqui and Meher Siddiqui, who are of South Asian descent. Harvest of Maryland is owned primarily by Harvest CEO Steve White. The town of Hancock, where the facility is located, owns a 5 percent stake.




The fourth company that would benefit from the proposed legislation is Seven Points Agro in Prince George’s County, the only African-American-owned company in Maryland’s medical marijuana wholesale industry.

Seven Points Agro is a licensed processor. Under the proposal, Seven Points Agro could receive one of the four new growing licenses without having to compete.

Rosenberg and Glenn said this process would allow a new grower to enter the market quickly, rather than waiting for the commission to develop a new application and award process, which commission officials said could take more than a year.

Companies that were ranked higher in 2015 than Seven Points Agro, such as GTI Maryland, questioned why the state has singled it out.

“It’s not fair,” said Pete Kadens, CEO of GTI Maryland.

Glenn said lawmakers were trying to find a way to improve diversity in the industry and fulfill the promises the commission made to existing growers.

“Our whole effort for this year is about fairness, and to legislate diversity,” Glenn said. Another goal, she said, is to create vertical integration and make medical marijuana less expensive.

“We didn’t want this to be a rich man’s drug,” she said.

Reginald Alston is one of three owners of Seven Points Agro, which is developing smokeless ways to take medical marijuana.

Alston said his company has not asked to be awarded one of the new growing licenses without reapplying. He said he learned about the possibility only from industry lobbyists and a reporter.

“If it is a fact, fantastic,” he said. If his firm were awarded a new growing license, he said, they could start building a facility right away because they still have access to the capital and real estate they secured when they applied.

“We can act on it quick,” he said. “Really quick.”
 
I don't think this is going to happen this year....MMJ program just opened and I don't think they will have the stomach for another expansion of legalization so soon after...but I may well be wrong.


Hearing set on marijuana ballot question in Maryland


ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A hearing is scheduled on a measure to put the legalization of marijuana on the ballot for voters to decide in November.

The hearing in the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled for Tuesday.

Both houses of the General Assembly would need to pass the bill by a three-fifths majority to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

It would make possession and home cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana legal for adults 21 and over. It also would require the state to establish regulations and taxation for a legal cannabis market.

It would remain illegal to consume marijuana in public or drive under the influence.
 
“The array of services offered by Curio Wellness make this store much more than just a medical cannabis dispensary,” said Brian Sanderoff, a pharmacist who is managing the Curio Wellness dispensary and formerly hosted a radio show about alternative medicine. “Patients who come through our doors will receive truly holistic and individualized health care, with medical cannabis being just one aspect of that.”

Health care...sorry, but they are so pretentious. Most of the dispensary employees that I have met are exactly what you would expect, very nice people who are doing a counter sales job. I do NOT want fucking "health care" from a dispensary. I have a doc (actually, a number of them LOL) and they ain't it.

More medical marijuana dispensaries open in Maryland

A little more than three months since the first few medical marijuana dispensaries opened their doors, more than 30 cannabis outlets have opened in Maryland.

The 34 dispensaries are maintaining regular hours and are located in all corners of the state, according to a review by The Baltimore Sun. They are in a dozen counties and Baltimore City, with five more dispensaries licensed but not yet open in five jurisdictions.

There are 102 dispensaries approved by the state.

“The inspections of the additional dispensaries are continuing,” according to Jennifer White, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission.




Montgomery County has the most dispensaries open with nine, followed by Howard and Baltimore counties, with five each.

This is up from the six that opened in early December, when they all reported a shortage of products and three closed temporarily because of those supply problems or technical glitches.

With a majority in the state supporting medical marijuana, most operations have opened with little notice, though a few have opened too close to homes and schools for some residents’ comfort.

Curaleaf in Reisterstown is among the latest to open and is getting the welcome mat: The local Chamber of Commerce plans a ribbon-cutting on Friday for Curaleaf, though the dispensary, which is part of a larger enterprise with retail shops in several other states, had a soft opening late last week.

Trey Hughes, the dispensary’s manager, said he hopes to run the place like an old-fashioned local pharmacy where the staff welcomes regulars and helps newcomers with their needs.

“I’m from Mississippi originally and we still have old-school pharmacies there where you can get chocolate malt or soda, so I’m used to that experience,” he said. “I try and bring that to dispensary management.”

Hughes said that kind of connection was missing when he worked in finance, so he gave up his job years ago and moved to Colorado, where he eventually landed at a dispensary. He said he felt a passion for helping people understand the products that might be able to help them with their ailments.

With recreational marijuana taking a strong hold in that state and many customers no longer wanting much guidance, he moved to Maryland to again be part of an emerging market where he could offer help with people’s “journeys.”




The dispensary plans educational opportunities, including a seminar for customers just on accessories and another on how to make edible cannabis items, which are not allowed to be sold in the state. Staff also will help people register with the state, a requirement along with a recommendation for medical cannabis from a registered doctor or other medical provider.

There are now 27,889 registered patients and 763 medical providers, though not all are doctors, according to the state commission.

Hughes said he hopes that personal service will differentiate Curaleaf from other dispensaries operating nearby.

Others are trying to do the same.

Curio Wellness in Timonium, another to open recently, is also among the half dozen or so dispensaries that were granted licenses after having been awarded licenses to grow cannabis.

The shop will be run as a “wellness” operation, with other services including yoga, acupuncture and massage. It also will sell other natural health and beauty products. Health-related workshops and support groups also are planned.

“The array of services offered by Curio Wellness make this store much more than just a medical cannabis dispensary,” said Brian Sanderoff, a pharmacist who is managing the Curio Wellness dispensary and formerly hosted a radio show about alternative medicine. “Patients who come through our doors will receive truly holistic and individualized health care, with medical cannabis being just one aspect of that.”
 

This is rec laws....not applicable to MMJ program where we are allowed to purchase up to four ounces/month.

State Senate votes to let Marylanders possess more marijuana but prohibit smoking in cars

Marylanders stopped by police could carry up to an ounce of marijuana and only face civil fines under a bill the state Senate passed Monday night.

But it would be a crime to smoke while driving or riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle.

Sen. Robert A. Zirkin, a Baltimore County Democrat, called it “a push and a pull” policy change, as it nearly triples the amount of marijuana that would trigger criminal charges but also puts marijuana on par with alcohol when it comes to concerns about driving under the influence.

The bill’s passage, by a 36-11 vote, comes as drug policy advocates press the legislature to further loosen the state’s stance on marijuana. The state decriminalized possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana in 2014.




Bills are pending in the General Assembly to ask voters whether marijuana should become legal under the Maryland constitution, but legislative leaders have said they don’t expect them to advance this year.

The relatively more modest proposal passed Monday proved more palatable, at least in the Senate. But Sen. Robert G. Cassilly, a Harford County Republican, said he was voting against the bill because an ounce of marijuana is too high a threshold.

“If you decriminalize enough, you’ve essentially legalized,” he said.

Sen. James Brochin, a Baltimore County Democrat, said that while he does not support legalization of marijuana either, he was voting for the bill.

“This is about whether you should go to jail for smoking marijuana,” he said. “These cells should be for violent offenders.”

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said he was voting against the bill. Amid concerns about opioid overdoses, loosening restrictions on another drug is “going the opposite way,” he said.

Zirkin, also a Baltimore County Democrat, said the increased threshold puts Maryland in line with the other 22 states that have decriminalized possession of relatively small amounts of marijuana. Current state law allows up to 10 grams, and an ounce is about 28 grams.

The bill now advances to the House, where a committee set the criminal threshhold at 10 grams three years ago.

“The randomness of 10 grams, it just doesn’t correspond to anything,” he said. “It was a number picked out of the sky by the House Judiciary committee.”
 

These guys are a bunch of lying, rat fuck, bastards. They have equal access to cultivators just like every other dispensary in the state and the patients that complained are correct to do so as they are $20-25 higher per 1/8th in this more remote area of MD (read less competition) than elsewhere.

I believe that the state should step in as this is a highly state regulated industry with licenses allocated by the state by geographic area and should be considered a public accommodation, IMO. This asshole should not be allowed to ban patients who merely give him a bad review.


A medical marijuana dispensary banned patients for posting complaints on Facebook


By Tauhid Chappell, The Washington Post

A medical marijuana dispensary in western Maryland has banned at least four customers because they posted complaints online about pricing or other issues, sparking concern from advocates and potentially violating state rules for the emerging industry.

Joy Strand, the executive director of the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, said registered dispensaries have the right to decline marijuana to patients or caregivers if they appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

But other attempts to bar patients could be problematic, she said, especially because in some parts of the state – including Western Maryland – there aren’t other places for would-be customers to go.

“If any dispensaries establish a practice of banning compliant patients, who are registered and certified with the Commission, from receiving medical cannabis treatment in accordance with the requirements of our program, the Commission will be obligated to perform a thorough investigation into that practice and take appropriate enforcement action,”Strand said in an emailedstatement.

Mother arrested after video of baby smoking marijuana goes viral
Sajal Roy, owner of Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Cumberland, Maryland, said he has banned four patients for spreading what he deemed to be false or misleading information online, and another who was acting disruptive inside the dispensary. He said he feels justified because those patients can buy cannabis elsewhere, even though the closest dispensaries to his are in Frederick, about 90 miles away.

“There’s plenty of other dispensaries, and access is not a question,” Roy said. “I think on some level in today’s society we baby everyone, and we coddle everyone. There are repercussions for what you do.”

Two patients he put on a do-not-serve list in January and February were allowed back into the dispensary after apologizing for their critical posts. Roy said the patient who was disruptive also has been allowed back in, but two others remained on the banned list as of March.

Kelly Robertson, founder of the Western Maryland Medicinal Marijuana Patients Alliance, said banning patients is wrong because it limits access to medication and creates a particular burden for those with low incomes who may not have the resources to travel across the state.

“It really sets the tone with the entire relationship with patients and the dispensary: that they are the authority and they say what goes and if you step out of line, you risk being banned,” Robertson said.

Neil Weigman, 35, uses cannabis to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain. He emailed Roy at the end of January to discuss delivery options, and the conversation turned to pricing. At one point, according to copies of the emails shared with The Washington Post, Roy said cannabis prices were higher in Colorado than in Maryland, which is generally not true.

Weigman then posted on a private Facebook page that is focused on Maryland’s medical marijuana program, accusing Roy of being a liar and saying he was charging too much. Roy later emailed Weigman to say he’d received complaints about the post, and would no longer welcome Weigman at his store.

Weigman apologized to Roy and deleted his Facebook post. “I just kind of kind of just figured, ‘well it’s not worth it.’ Getting my medicine is more important to me right now,” he said.

Maryland House wants to add medical marijuana licenses to boost minority cannabis businesses
He said he submitted a complaint to the state cannabis commission but never heard back. Spokeswoman Jennifer White said the commission does not have a record of receiving the complaint.

Dianna Bennett, a resident of Allegany County, said she also was banned after posting on the dispensary’s Facebook page that she thought its prices were too high. She visited the dispensary when it first opened in December and bought an eighth of Ace of Spades for $84.

“I didn’t say anything about [Roy] personally. I just said $84 was too much for an eighth,” said Bennett, who suffers from lupus and receives a monthly $1,200 disability check.

When Bennett went back to the dispensary, she said, an employee told her she had been banned. Bennett then called Roy.

“He never gave me a straight answer. He asked me if I caused a disruption in the dispensary or if I spread false information,” she said, adding that Roy later said he would remove her from the banned list. She has since been able to purchase cannabis there.

Roy said he could not provide details about the other two people he said were banned, except to say they also had posted negative “online harassment.”

Robertson, the marijuana advocate from Western Maryland, recently arranged a meeting at Allegany Medical dispensary with customers and co-owner Greg Pappas, who blamed high prices for cannabis products on heavy demand and limited supply. As of March, prices had somewhat; an eighth of flower now costs $60, according to the dispensary’s Facebook page.

“As more and more growers are bringing product to the market place, we’ll be in a better position to negotiate,” Pappas told customers at the meeting. He also said that the dispensary plans to take a look at how they decide whether to ban patients.

Robertson urged the patients at the meeting to “be positive vocal advocates” for medical marijuana. “If everybody hears complaints, it’s steering patients away in the program altogether,” she said.
 

Maryland Bank Discloses Extensive Involvement in Cannabis Industry

Severn Bank (NASDAQ: SVBI), an FDIC-insured holding company based Annapolis with five branches in Anne Arundel County, revealed that it is serving the cannabis industry in a substantial manner. The company filed its annual 10-K report with the SEC today, discussing its involvement with medical cannabis providers for the first time after beginning to provide banking services in 2017 to growers, processors and dispensaries.

The SEC filing explained its diligence process:

We do a deep upfront due diligence review of a medical-use cannabis business before the business is on-boarded, including a site visit and confirmation that the business is properly licensed by the state of Maryland. Throughout the relationship, we continue monitoring the business, including site visits, to ensure that the medical-use cannabis business continues to meet our stringent requirements, including maintenance of required licenses. We perform periodic financial reviews of the business and monitor the business in accordance with Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) and State Commission requirements.

The bank ended the year with $19.2 million in cannabis industry deposits, or 3.2% of its total deposits, and accepted over $45 million in deposits during 2017. While it’s not unusual for community banks to accept deposits from cannabis operators, Severn Bank has made loans to its medical cannabis customers as well, ending the year with $11.9 million (1.8% of all loans) on its books. Severn includes expansion of its medical cannabis customer base as one of seven components of its growth strategy.

Not surprisingly, Severn Bank included substantial risk disclosures, with the cannabis-related risks leading this section of the filing:
 
I generally oppose any sort of race or identity group set asides as I believe that they are racist and discriminatory by their very nature. But I'm also very strongly in support of EVERYBODY getting a fair shake for entry into the industry. Personally, I think the legislation making the rounds now is purely a racist set aside, but its going to happen, its going to result in more growers and competition in the state, so let's just more on. Its a done deal in some final form or another.

HOWEVER, let's keep things accurate:

"In January, a disparity study ordered by Gov. Larry Hogan determined that women and minorities lack representation in the industry."​


Absolutely NOT true. There can't be any study of industry participation in an industry that doesn't yet exist. This "study" concluded that minorities are disadvantage in the ENTIRE MARYLAND ECONOMY. May be true, I can't speak to it but this study and action seems to establish a basis for race based state licensing of any and all industries. I believe that this will come back to haunt them one day.

Efforts To Diversify Medical Marijuana in Maryland Move Forward
Efforts to diversify medical marijuana in Maryland move forward with a new bill.

Legislators say that efforts to diversify medical marijuana in Maryland move forward after amendments to the bill are made. In January, a disparity study ordered by Gov. Larry Hogan determined that women and minorities lack representation in the industry. Currently, minorities own only one of the cannabis processing companies licensed by the state.

Lawmakers had hoped to set aside a portion of the state’s medical marijuana licenses for businesses with minority ownership. But Attorney General Brian Frosh determined such a plan would violate the state’s constitution.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan added that reserving licenses for minorities would expose the state to litigation from white business owners denied permits.

“You can’t throw those guys out or the state will be subject to lawsuits from all of them, but if they can find a way to broaden it and be more inclusive, we are all for it,” he told local media.


Lawmakers Seek Alternate Plan
Baltimore City Delegate Cheryl Glenn is the chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus. She also has arthritis and uses medical marijuana to treat it. She said that she has prioritized increasing diversity in the state’s medical marijuana industry.

“We have a litany of people who are ready to apply for those licenses, who have the money to get these businesses up and running,” Glenn said.

As a solution, members of the House of Delegates introduced House Bill 2 (HB 2) at the beginning of the legislative session. The bill mandates changes to the state medical marijuana commission’s structure and operations. The measure also includes several provisions to encourage minority involvement in the industry.

HB 2 would increase the number of commissioners that serve on the regulatory body to eight. It also requires the board’s membership to at least somewhat reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the state. The bill also forbids members from having a financial interest in the industry.

The new regulations would require the commission to perform outreach to existing minority-owned businesses to inform them how they can participate in the cannabis industry. The bill also creates training programs for jobs in the cannabis industry.

Under the measure, the commission would create a partnership with the state Department of Labor to identify job opportunities for minorities and ex-offenders.

In order to increase access to medical marijuana for patients, the bill also creates a Compassionate Use Fund. The commission would administer the fund, which would provide free or discounted cannabis to eligible patients in need.

Final Hit: Efforts To Diversify Medical Marijuana in Maryland Move Forward
The House of Delegates passed HB 2 on March 2. The bill was subsequently referred to the Senate, where it is currently being debated.

Although it has been a long road with many obstacles, Glenn believes lawmakers will succeed in diversifying the industry.

“I think we are going to finish the session with a product I’m going to be satisfied with,” Glenn said.

A Senate committee is now considering even more amendments to the bill. They plan to send it to the floor on Monday for consideration by the full body. If successful there, the measure would head back to the House for review. Gov. Hogan would then need to sign it before it could become law.
 
Yes, this conflicts with the House version and I have no clarity on this at all.....no telling exactly where this will end up. Clear as mud...sigh. The one thing I can guarantee is that the lobbyists are all over this in Annapolis and like it seems everywhere else in our USA governments, money has access that you and I do not.

Senate panel wants to further expand Maryland's medical marijuana industry

A plan approved by a key Maryland Senate committee Friday would grant 21 new licenses to grow or process medical marijuana, but leave only 15 of them open for competition for minority-owned firms at the center of the effort to expand the industry.

The proposal endorsed by the Senate Finance Committee sets the stage for another end-of-session battle with the House of Delegates over the proper way to expand the medical marijuana industry to improve racial diversity among the state’s licensed firms.

The Senate’s version of the bill would create six new licenses to grow the drug and reserve three of them for existing medical marijuana companies. The proposal would also create 15 new licenses to process the drug; three of those would go to existing firms.

The version of the bill passed by the House creates fewer new licenses and awards them in a different way, details that have potential to derail any deal on expansion.

The full Senate could take up the measure as soon as Monday.
 
Del. Cheryl Glenn, the Baltimore Democrat who has led the fight for an expanded role for African-Americans.....“It’s great, great,” she said. “We are breaking ground with legislating diversity.”

Well, I think the only ground she and the BLC broke was formalizing racist based issuance of state level franchises. https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...c32bc0-3bc4-11e8-955b-7d2e19b79966_story.html


For those who think that this will somehow help balance the disppoportionate impact of MJ arrests in black communities....those people aren't going to get ANY of these licenses. Not in this life or the next. These WILL be won by rich, politically connected, black people who can raise the minimum $10M for a compliant grow facility.

Oh well...I don't really give shit anymore...our dispensaries are finally open, variety is increasing rapidly, and prices are starting to come down with some places offering quantity pricing on 1/2 and full oz for some strains. A year from now, it will be a completely different and more robust picture here in MD.


Maryland lawmakers OK medical marijuana bill on last day

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A measure to help improve diversity in Maryland’s new medical marijuana industry received final approval by the General Assembly on Monday, as lawmakers worked toward a midnight deadline when the legislative session is scheduled to end.

Maryland lawmakers also will be working on measures designed to improve school safety and fight crime.

The medical marijuana measure increases the number of grower licenses from 15 to as many as 22. Two licenses are set aside for two companies that sued over the licensing process and four more will be up for grabs. The measure takes steps to help minority-owned companies receive those licenses, based on a study earlier this year that concluded minorities have faced obstacles to entering similar industries in the past. The bill also increases the number of marijuana processor licenses from 15 to 28.

Del. Cheryl Glenn, the Baltimore Democrat who has led the fight for an expanded role for African-Americans left out in the first round of grower’s license awards, told Baltimore Sun reporter Michael Dresser she was thrilled with the bill’s passage. “It’s great, great,” she said. “We are breaking ground with legislating diversity.”

A spokesperson for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said the governor will review the bill closely before making a signing decision.

The Sun’s Dresser added:

The medical marijuana compromise resolves an issue that has bedeviled the legislature for two years. General Assembly leaders opened the session in January with the hope that they could finish work on it by the end of that month.
 
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I would actually like to see Harris go also....


DC cannabis activist moves to Md. to vote congressman out of office

WASHINGTON — A D.C. activist has moved to Maryland because he has had enough of lawmakers from outside the District trying to stifle the will of D.C. residents.

He aims to use the ballot box to unseat a congressman.

This November, Adam Eidinger wants voters to oust Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), the incumbent of Maryland’s First Congressional District.

Eidinger recently moved to Salisbury, Maryland, where he has an apartment and his voting residence; he still maintains a home in D.C.

Eidinger, like many D.C. residents, eventually wants full rights and representation for the District. That includes freedom from outside legislators having a hand in local regulations — namely the District’s say on cannabis and its inability to make laws to reduce penalties associated with its possession, use or distribution.

“The only reason I’m moving to the eastern shore of Maryland is Andy Harris. It’s political,” Eidinger said.

Eidinger was part of the push to legalize marijuana in D.C., but says a budget rider Harris supported has put a chokehold on the District’s ability to enact marijuana-related laws beyond what is already legal under Initiative 71.

The rider Eidinger decries includes a stricture on any moves by D.C. that would reduce penalties associated with marijuana possession, use or distribution.

“We’re fed up, and there’s nothing left to do but simply move to his district and organize his district against him,” Eidinger said.

Eidinger is campaigning for Democratic candidate Allison Galbraith. He doesn’t expect an easy road, but he said he is in it for the long haul to unseat Harris sooner or later.

“The same people who legalized marijuana in the District of Columbia are moving to Andy Harris’ district to take a stand and basically say we’re going to remove this member of Congress to make an example of him,” Eidinger said.

“You don’t ignore the voters. You don’t overturn elections. And that’s literally what Andy Harris is doing. He has basically overturned an election in the District of Columbia through his budget rider on marijuana. And until that’s removed, I would not even think of giving up on this at least for six years. This is a six-year plan.”
 
Status of the program from latest commission meeting on 22 Feb '18:

Ms. Strand provided the current statistics for the Patient, Caregiver and Provider Registries. As of February 22, 2018, there are 719 registered medical providers. There are 24,564 registered Patients, and 16,055 of the registered Patients are certified. There are 82 registered minor Patients, of which 55 are certified, and 80 registered hospice Patients. The number of Caregivers registered as of February 22 totals 1,222. The QA staff is currently ten business days behind on processing applications. There are 8,675 pending Patient applications awaiting final processing.​


Below is the latest list of dispensaries that have been granted final licenses including 9 that were approved at this meeting:

1.Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary (Allegany County)
License No.: D-17-00005
100 Beall Street
Cumberland, MD 21502
888-446-3420

2. Altpharm LLC (Prince George’s County)
License No.: D-18-00004
4710 Auth Place, Suite 595
Suitland, MD 20746
301-456-1342

3. Cannabus LLC (dba Potomac Holistics) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00003
14808 Physicians Lane, Suite 212
Rockville, MD 20850
240-654-5276
4. CannaMD LLC (dba ReLeaf Shop) (Baltimore City)
License No.: D-18-00018
1114 Cathedral Street, Suite 5
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-277-5527

5. Charm City Medicus (Baltimore County)
License No.: D-17-00013
717 North Point Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21224
443-530-6474

6. Chesapeake Alternatives LLC (dba Rise Bethesda) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-000010
10401 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 210
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-571-0420

7. Chesapeake Apothecary LLC (Charles County)
License No.: D-18-000017
4781 Crain Highway , Suite A
White Plains, MD 20695
8. Culta LLC (Baltimore City)
License No.: D-18-00019
215 Key Highway
Baltimore, MD 21230
202-270-5404

9. Curio Wellness LLC (Baltimore County)
License No.: D-18-00012
2060-A York Road
Timonium, MD 21093
443-484-8600

10. CWS LLC (dba Your Farmacy) (Baltimore County)
License No.: D-18-00015
1526 York Road
Lutherville, MD 21093
410-970-4666

11. Euphoria Wellness Maryland (Frederick County)
License No.: D-18-00001
11717 Old National Pike
New Market, MD 21774
301-882-7910

12. Freestate Partners LLC (dba Revolution Releaf) (Howard County)
License No.: D-17-00015
9994 Washington Blvd. N.
Laurel, MD 20723
240-280-8446

13. Freestate Wellness LLC) (dba Zen Leaf) (Howard County)
License No.: D-17-00019
7221 Montevideo Road, Suite 150
Jessup, MD 20794
883-936-5323

14. G & J Pharmaceuticals LLC (dba Greenwave Maryland) (Calvert County)
License No.: D-18-00007
10 Creston Lane #4
Solomons, MD 20688
410-394-3936

15. GPD LLC (dba Green Point Wellness) (Anne Arundel County)
License No.: D-18-00003
823 A Elkridge Landing Road
Linthicum, MD 21090
410-553-7171

16. Growing Ventures LLC (dba Greenhouse Wellness) (Howard County)
License No.: D-17-00009
4801 Dorsey Hall Drive, Suite 110
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-910-8702

17. GTI Maryland LLC (dba Rise Silver Spring) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00007
7900 Fenton Street
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-565-8100

18. Hallaway LLC (dba Starbuds) (Baltimore City)
License No.: D-18-0001
5975 Belair Road
Baltimore, MD 21206
443-438-7494

19. Harvest of Maryland Dispensary LLC (dba Harvest) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00017
12200 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
301-678-4744

20. Herbiculture INC (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-18-00008
4009 Sandy Spring Road
Burtonsville, MD 20866
240-390-3942

21. Hippocratic Growth (dba Ash + Ember) (Queen Anne’s County)
License No.: D-18-00005
202 Coursevall Drive, Suite 108
Centreville, MD 21617
443-262-8045

22. HMS Health LLC (dba Zenity Wellness) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-18-00014
811 Russell Avenue, Suite C
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
301-304-4000

23. Holistic Industries, LLC (dba Liberty) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-18-00002
12001 Nebel Street
Rockville, MD 20852
301-304-4100

24. K & R Holdings INC (dba Kannavis) (Frederick County)
License No.: D-17-00002
3362 Urbana Pike
Ijamesville, MD 21754
301-810-2962
25. M2C2 LLC (dba HerbaFi) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-18-00020
8413 Ramsey Avenue
Silver Spring, Md 20910
240-650-4372

26. Maryland Compassionate Care & Wellness (dba Herbalogy) (Montgomery)
License No.: D-17-00011
106 N. Frederick Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
240-801-3775

27. Maryland Earthworks LLC (dba Dispensary Works) (Charles County)
License No.: D-18-00023
10766 DeMarr Road
White Plains, MD 20695
301-974-5315

28. Maryland Wellness Access LLC (dba Remedy Columbia) (Howard County)
License No.: D-17-00008
6656-E Dobbin Road
Columbia, MD 21046
443-542-0948

29. Maryleaf LLC (dba Bloom Medicinals) (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-17-00018
11530 Middlebrook Road
Germantown, MD 20876
240-813-8818

30. MCNA Wellness LLC (dba Haven) (Prince George’s County)
License No.: D-17-00021
7501 Clymer Drive
Brandywine, MD 20613
240-650-0420

31. Medical Products & Services LLC (dba Maggies) (Baltimore City)
License No.: D-17-00020
3317 Keswick Road
Baltimore, MD 21611
443-873-6974

32. Meshow LLC (dba RISE-Joppa) (Harford County)
License No.: D-18-00021
702 Pulaski Highway
Joppa, MD 21085
443-465-0025

33. Nature’s Care & Wellness LLC (Cecil County)
License No.: D-17-00012
4925 Pulaski Highway, Suite A
Perryville, MD 21903
443-252-1383

34. OC Botanicals LLC (dba Hi Tide) (Worchester County)
License No.: D-18-00013
12600 Marjan Lane, Unit 100
Ocean City, MD 21842
410-701-2837

35. Our Community Wellness & Compassionate Care Center (dba Medleaf) (Prince George’s County)
License No.: D-18-00024
9520 Marlboro Pike, #103 & #104
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
301-599-1903

36. PalliaTech Maryland LLC (dba Curaleaf) (Balmore County)
License No.: D-18-00009
11722 Reisterstown Road
Reisterstown, MD 21136
443-881-4782

37. Peake Releaf LLC (Montgomery County)
License No.: D-18-00022
2001 Chapman Avenue
Rockville, MD 20852
301-703-2400

38. Peninsula Alternative Health LLC (Wicomico County)
License No: D-17-00006
400 Snow Hill Road
Salisbury, MD 21804
410-622-3661

39. PharmaKent LLC (Cecil County)
License No.: D-18-00006
330 East Pulaski Highway
Elkton, MD 21921
443-207-8224

40. Positive Energy LLC (Worcester County)
License No.: D-17-00022
9939 Jerry Mack Road, Suite 500
Ocean City, MD 219842
410-877-2017

41. PureLifeMedical INC (dba PureLifeWellness) (Baltimore City)
License No.: D-17-00016
35 East Cross Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
443-708-5683

42. Southern Maryland Relief LLC (St. Mary’s County)
License No.: D-17-00004
28105 Tree Notch Road, Suite 1D
Mechanicsville, MD 20659
301-242-3200

43. Temescal Wellness of Maryland LLC (dba Temescal Wellness) (Baltimore County)
License No.: D-17-00014
1636 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
443-313-8724

44. Three Creeks Dispensary (dba Zen Leaf Walkdorf) (Prince George's County)
License No: D-18-00016
2290 Old Washington Road, Suite 12383
Waldorf, MD 20601
833-936-5323

45. Trilogy Wellness of Maryland LLC (Howard County)
License No: D-18-00010
9291 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
443-539-7372

46. Wellness Institute of Maryland (Frederick County)
License No.: D-17-00001
4606 Wedgewood Boulevard
Frederick, MD 21703
301-662-2222
 
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Just more NIMBY and raising bureaucratic obstacles when anti's can't get their way via legislation.


Anne Arundel County sends out notice to residents on marijuana bill


One of the shortest bills on the Anne Arundel County Council agenda Monday might have the longest hearing after a county official sent out a notice to community associations across the county.

Anne Arundel County Council will hold a hearing at 7 p.m. Monday on Bill 24-18, which would prohibit granting special requirement variances to medical marijuana projects. The County Council and County Executive Steve Schuh set those requirements after debating how to handle Maryland’s approval of medical marijuana.Medical marijuana developers have called those requirements burdensome and strict, forcing them to seek variances in their application because suitable property isn’t available.

The county’s administrative hearing officer grants variances after holding a hearing and deciding whether the applicant’s argument merits bending the rules.




Schuh’s spokesman Owen McEvoy said the county will send out emails when residents have shown an interest in legislation.

“I wanted to make you aware the Council is hearing Bill 24-18 tonight that will disallow variances for marijuana dispensaries, growers and processors,” wrote James H. Reed, administrative assistant for the Office of Constituent Services. “The Council passed a law that regulates where these stores can locate, but many have tried to get exceptions to the law.”

Medical marijuana developers seeking “exceptions” doesn’t fully contextualize the challenges medical marijuana developers have faced trying to build in the county.

Most developers can look throughout the county and propose projects on plots of land as long as it meets zoning and other requirements.

But when state lawmakers passed legislation approving medical marijuana, they built a system that controls where those projects will be located. They spread the projects out by giving a max of two preliminary licenses per legislative district.

Schuh responded to this new law by initially calling for a ban. He later compromised with the County Council by enacting some of the strictest special requirements in the state. The projects can’t be within 1,000 feet of residentially zoned property, dwellings, school and the business itself must be on a highly trafficked road. These rules are required when building in north county but not south county — essentially below Route 50.

Dispensary developers have said the county’s requirements were so strict that it takes months to find a suitable location, and even then that location still might require a variance request. In the cases they find a suitable piece of land that meets all of the requirements, they land may not be for sale or the seller doesn’t want a dispensary built. Unlike other developers who could find another place to build, dispensary developers have to build within the legislative district in which they received a preliminary license.




Schuh has said he plans to review the county’s strict requirements while still pushing for the variance prohibition.

The county’s previous administrative hearing officer, Doug Hollmann, approved several variances for dispensaries before he left the position in March. Schuh replaced him with Jonathan Hodgson, who did not improve the first variance he presided over. Hollmann also denied variances in several cases as well.

County officials have not commented on whether Hollmann was fired or not, but they did release Hollmann’s variance granting stats and announced the variance prohibition bill the same day they announced his departure.

The county’s strict rules attracted enough attention that Maryland Senators considered allowing medical marijuana developers to request a move to a new legislative district after struggling to find a suitable property. That amendment was removed shortly before a final vote on changes to the state’s medical marijuana laws.
 
Yes, if you want something that cost too much, takes up too much time, and fails then just give it to government to implement.


Overwhelmed computer system stalls medical marijuana sales over weekend in Maryland

The online system that tracks medical marijuana got overwhelmed by heavy use on Friday and Saturday, officials said, slowing and preventing purchases at dispensaries across Maryland.

A spokeswoman for the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission attributed the problem to a new feature that allowed patients to log in to see how much medical marijuana they had bought and how much they were still permitted to buy in a 30-day period. Until recently, only dispensaries could tap the information to ensure they were selling the permitted amounts.

“The system didn't stop, but it was very slow and in some cases would not process the purchases,” said Jennifer White, the commission spokeswoman.

Officials at the vendor that runs the system determined Saturday that heavy patient volume was overwhelming the system at peak times. The vendor, Florida-based Franwell, shut off patient access and the system, known as Metrc, returned to normal for dispensaries.




White said the commission has asked to restore the feature as a convenience for patients, but she had no timeline. The Metrc system serves 10 states that permit medical marijuana sales, but White believes the patient feature was only in use in Maryland. Franwell did not respond to a request for comment.

There are more than 27,000 certified patients in Maryland and another 11,000 registered and awaiting certification.

Medical providers recommend the use of medical marijuana for several maladies and also recommend an amount of the products for patients to use. The products, including different strains of marijuana, are different strengths and that requires a complex calculation each time a dispensary or a patient logged into the Metrc system, White said.

Max Davidson, executive director of the Maryland Patients Rights Association and assistant general manager of the Timonium area dispensary Your Farmacy, said the online feature was a big request from customers. He said for the time being customers will have to call or come in to find out about their limits.

He said Your Farmacy was unable to sell any products at times over the weekend because the dispensary wasn’t able to use the system, causing problems for some customers.

“Some people drive an hour or two hours to a dispensary and then they get there and find out they can’t get their medicine,” said Davidson, who confirmed the system is again working smoothly for dispensaries.
 
I was just wondering @Baron23 but do you know if a VA resident can gain access to the MD MMJ program?

Oops...I meant to post this on the MD page? Not in the DC section.
 
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