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Law Maryland MMJ

Another way to have written this headline is" Baltimore County cannabis grower sues to stop Maryland from awarding new licenses via racist set asides". Just the way I see it. Table stakes to grow in MD's highly regulated market is min of $10M and more like $20M. The fifteen OG growers, whose licenses were limited to 15 total in the original legislation, based their business models on just that amount of product and competition.

The ONLY reason additional licenses were allotted in subsequent legislation was to appease the Black Legislative Caucus with race based cut outs and defuse their threat to sue and further delay the already unconscionably delayed program. Not a lot different that Tony Soprano's tactics.

Del Glenn states below: "considering that African American-firms were cut out of the awards in Maryland."

This is utter and complete BS. Anybody could submit a proposal and all proposals were scrubbed to remove any reference to the principals personal information prior to being sent to an academic instituion that was hired to do proposal eval/ranking.

By the by, if interested, here is the identity group make up of principals and employees as generated by the state's commission. Also, please note, the so called MJ industry disparity study was nothing of the sort. Since there is NO historical record for MJ industry, there can be no historical discrimination against any group. What the MD AG office did was issue a report that state wide, industry as a whole has a disparity in industry ownership. What a crock of crap.

https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Pages/current-diversity-statistics.aspx
https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Pages/current-diversity-statistics.aspx

Read it and you will see why this is total crap and that Glenn isn't interested in diversity...she is interested ONLY in promoting one particular identity group...black Americans. She could give a shit less about Asian ownership, woman ownership, fucking Mongolian ownership or any other damn thing.

So, now they are back in court.

By the by....please note those financial figures above. I GUARNTEE that none of these licenses are going to lower income, inner city, minorities that have in fact been unfairly targeted for MJ law enforcement. Jammal from the corner ain't getting one of these. Its been estimated to be $1M just to get through the proposal and licensing process. This is NOT some sort of redress for social injustice. Its just a cut out for wealthy supporters of black legislative members.

Take it for what its worth.



Baltimore County cannabis grower sues to stop Maryland from awarding new licenses that could improve diversity

A Baltimore County company that grows medical cannabis is attempting to stop Maryland regulators from trying to award four new marijuana cultivation licenses as part of an expansion effort that state lawmakers hoped would lead to more minority participation in the industry.

Curio Wellness filed a lawsuit Monday in Baltimore County Circuit Court alleging that the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission is violating its own regulations by soliciting applications for more growing licenses without completing a supply and demand analysis.

Regulations governing the state’s medical cannabis industry say the commission may seek to license more marijuana growing companies than the original 15 that were approved “to meet the demand for medical cannabis by qualifying patients in an affordable, accessible, secure and efficient manner.”

Curio, which is owned by prominent Democratic supporter Michael Bronfein, states in the lawsuit that it has spent more than $10 million to build its cannabis growing business based on regulations that promised a “strictly limited number” of licenses. To award more licenses would jeopardize the investments of Curio and 13 other companies that have licenses.

“Curio was compelled to file this action to protect their business investments and rights and to enforce the promises made by the state of Maryland and the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to induce private sector growers to invest and operate in this important public health program,” said David Nevins, a Curio spokesman. “Those promises include the state not expanding the number of cultivator licenses without first conducting a demand study to determine if additional supply is necessary to meet the demand for this newly established public health program.”

Del. Cheryl Glenn, an advocate for minority participation in the industry, said the state’s medical cannabis law has always given the commission the right to award new licenses as needed. The Baltimore Democrat said a “disparity study” conducted by the state to assess the industry and minority participation is enough to warrant an expansion of licenses considering that African American-firms were cut out of the awards in Maryland.




Minority firms lost out in the first round of bidding for 15 medical marijuana growing licenses.

Based on the disparity study’s findings showing minorities are disadvantaged, the General Assembly passed compromise legislation in 2018 to expand the marijuana growing operations to try to give minorities an ownership role.

Glenn said she was disappointed that Curio would attempt to block the state’s efforts to expand diversity given that the company achieved the desired “vertical integration” by landing growing, processing and dispensary licenses. That allows companies to grow their own cannabis, make their own products and sell them at dispensaries.

“It’s just unfortunate that Curio would take a position like this when they were awarded three licenses from the beginning,” Glenn said. “I would be ashamed to file such a lawsuit. It’s saying that you want to maintain the lack of diversity like we have in the rest of the country in this industry.”

She said African American and Native American citizens have “suffered disproportionately” from criminal marijuana laws yet have won only about 1 percent of all the medical cannabis licenses awarded nationwide.

The commission has been working for months to extend outreach to minority businesses across Maryland to encourage them to participate in the new application process, said Joy Strand, the state cannabis commission’s executive director.

“It is counterproductive to have to defend this lawsuit, when our efforts and attention should be focused on the new application process,” Strand said.

The 2018 law states that the commission may award no more than 22 grower licenses and must submit a report to the legislature about the potential for more licenses based on patient demand by Dec. 1, 2024.

The Maryland Wholesale Medical Cannabis Trade Association, which represents growers and processors, said it “rejects the lawsuit” and that “the current application process should continue.” One grower, the group said, “does not reflect the desire of the majority of companies in the industry” to support more diversity.




Curio’s lawsuit makes no mention of the effort to diversify the industry and it does not dispute the commission’s ability to seek more applicants. But the complaint contends the state must first conduct the study about how many more licenses are needed to address demand and how more cannabis products will impact pricing and diversion of medical products into black markets.

The commission “unilaterally decided to issue applications for additional licenses without having determined the demand or the impact of additional supply on its existing facilities,” Nevins said.

The lawsuit states that “there currently exists a sufficient supply of medical cannabis and the current production and production capacity is more than sufficient to meet current and all reasonably projected or anticipated needs for medical cannabis.”

In early December, Maryland’s medical cannabis industry ended its first year with $96.3 million in sales driven by nearly 52,000 patients who purchased about 730,000 individual products such as vape pens.

“Because cannabis is a substance for which there are significant medical benefits but the potential for abuse, the public has a significant interest in making sure that there is neither an oversupply nor undersupply in the market,” the lawsuit states. Such a study would likely show “ample supply.”

Commission Chairman Brian Lopez, who is named as a defendant, said the new application process will proceed.

“We have worked in collaboration with the General Assembly, the Black Caucus and Industry Stakeholders for over 10 months,” Lopez said in a statement. “It is imperative for the new licensees to enter this industry as soon as possible.”
 

Curio Wellness drops medical marijuana licensing suit against Maryland



Curio Wellness dropped its lawsuit to block Maryland regulators from awarding new cannabis cultivation licenses that the state said were intended to increase diversity in the industry.

The company had received impassioned public criticism after it filed the suit, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Curio CEO Michael Bronfein said in a statement that the medical marijuana company stands by the merits of its lawsuit.

But he indicated Curio is responding to comments that he said misinterpret its action as racially insensitive.

Despite the lawsuit, state regulators planned to proceed with the licensing round.

For more details about Curio’s decision, click here.
 
Maryland gives deadline to medical marijuana stores to open

BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland officials have issued a warning to medical cannabis companies: If they don’t open their doors by Sept. 30 then state regulators will revoke their preliminary approvals to operate.

The Baltimore Sun reports the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission issued a bulletin alerting companies of the deadline to finalize their licenses and open their doors.

The bulletin issued Thursday also advises the companies to complete their final inspections by Aug. 15. It says that gives them enough time to complete the steps required to sell medicinal marijuana to consumers from retail stores.

Most of the 76 licensed cannabis dispensaries in Maryland have opened. Officials say 26 other companies are in the pre-approval stage.
 
Bill 17 passed both the Senate and the House this last Monday and it will allow edibles. Gov Hogan will either sign, veto, or allow to go into effect in 30 days if he does nothing.

We will see.
 
"The judges’ reasoning for rejecting the requests is not yet clear."

And how does that work....I mean, where is this guy's written or oral opinion????


Baltimore Judges deny request to dismiss past marijuana convictions


A request by Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby to dismiss nearly 5,000 past cases of marijuana possession was denied by judges on Friday, according to online court records. On Monday, a spokeswoman for the State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed that the petition had been rejected by the judges.

Prosecutors had filed paperwork to dismiss cases going back to 2011, covering approximately 1,000 convictions in Circuit Court and almost 3,800 more in District Court. The judges’ reasoning for rejecting the requests is not yet clear.

Prosecutorial Policy Changed
In January, Mosby announced that her office would end the prosecution of marijuana possession cases in Baltimore and would seek the dismissal of up to 5,000 convictions already on the books. Mosby cited the racial disparity in the enforcement of cannabis prohibition laws as her reason for the change in policy.

“The statistics are damning when it comes to the disproportionate impact that the ‘War on Drugs’ has had on communities of color,” Mosby said. “As your state’s attorney, I pledged to institute change and I refuse to stand by and be a facilitator of injustice and inequity when it is clear that we can be so much smarter and do so much more on behalf of the people we serve.”

More than 90 percent of the citations for minor marijuana possession were issued to black people in Baltimore between 2015 and 2017.

“Even though white and black residents use marijuana at the same rate, the laws disproportionately impact communities of color,” Mosby added.

Collateral Damage of Pot Convictions
Olivia Naugle, a legislative coordinator for the Marijuana Policy Project, applauded Mosby’s decision to in a press release.

“Decades of arresting and prosecuting people for marijuana possession did not make Baltimore any safer, and it had a dramatically disproportionate impact on communities of color,” Naugle said. “Countless individuals have been branded with convictions and subjected to life-altering collateral consequences that cause them more harm than marijuana ever could. Unfortunately, this has continued to be the case in Baltimore City even after decriminalization in 2014.”

Mosby agreed that convictions for marijuana possession follow offenders for life, saying that they make finding a job and qualifying for social programs such as housing and educational benefits difficult if not impossible.

“When I ask myself: Is the enforcement and prosecution of marijuana possession making us safer as a city?” Mosby said, “the answer is emphatically ‘no.’”

“No one thinks spending resources to jail people for marijuana is a good use of our limited time and resources,” she added.

Mosby’s Response
Mosby released the following statement on Monday:

“The role that courts play in our society is to be a place of last resort for people who have been wronged. I am deeply disappointed that this ruling did not afford us any opportunity to present legal arguments and essentially eliminated the court from being a safe harbor for those that were harmed by the discriminatory enforcement of marijuana laws in this city.”

“My office is considering our options and will pursue all avenues to ensure we continue standing up for the people of Baltimore,” she added.
 
"Allows for the manufacture and distribution of edible cannabis products, consistent with regulations adopted by the Commission"

Well, hot damn...we gonna have edibles in Maryland. Probably cost a fortune given other product pricing, but still way cool and prices are continuing to come down.

Also, this bill seems to be a good attempt at preventing/or halting any more sale to, or contracting of control to, large corps who have been busy buying/signing complete control management contracts in direct violation of the intent of prior law and regulations which were crafted to protect the diversity of the industry (no, not racial diversity...diversity of industry entities). I'm sure that corporate lawyers are already looking for loop holes or opportunities to take these laws to court.

All good. Hogan is very popular in Maryland and has high approval ratings. I sure approve of these laws.


From the MMCC

Advisory: New Statutory Provisions - Maryland Medical Cannabis Program

Dear Nixle User,

Governor Larry Hogan today signed into law 181 bills, including two medical cannabis measures. Senate Bill 426/Chapter 501 (2019) allows a person to own or control up to four medical cannabis dispensaries, and clarifies that a person may own or control one medical cannabis grower and one medical cannabis processor. The law takes effect July 1, 2019.

House Bill 17/Chapter 456 (2019) is an omnibus bill governing several aspects of the medical cannabis program. Specifically, House Bill 17/Chapter 456:

  • Allows for the manufacture and distribution of edible cannabis products, consistent with regulations adopted by the Commission;
  • Provides legal protections to academic institutions to conduct research on the therapeutic uses and health effects of cannabis;
  • Establishes restrictions on cannabis advertising;
  • Protects medical cannabis patients who are on parole or probation; and
  • Restricts the sale or transfer of ownership of a medical cannabis license unless the business has been licensed and actively engaged in cultivating, processing, or dispensing medical cannabis for a period of at least 3 years.

As an emergency measure House Bill 17/Chapter 456 took immediate effect upon the Governor’s signature today.

The Commission is providing two bulletins (2019 – 007 – Edible Cannabis Products and 2019 – 008 – Statutory Advertising Restrictions) to assist stakeholders understand the new requirements. In addition, the Commission is currently developing regulations to comply with, and implement, these new statutory provisions. Questions regarding the new statutory provisions may be directed to william.tilburg@maryland.gov.

MMCC Team
 
"And the state’s Legislative Black Caucus was outraged that companies owned by African Americans did not win any of the preliminary growing licenses.
A state-commissioned “disparity study” confirmed that minorities and women had been shut out of the industry, an analysis that provided the legal support needed to implement “race- and gender-based measures to remediate discrimination,” the study stated."
This ^^ is complete and utter bullshit. The basis of their "disparity study" was certainly NOT based on historical discrimination in the MMJ industry.....because....wait for it....there WAS NO HISTORICAL MMJ INDUSTRY TO STUDY".

I oppose racism in all of its forms including race based set carve outs...which is what this is.

If you wish to be personally informed of the actual diversity facts in MD's MMJ industry, then read this:

https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Pages/current-diversity-statistics.aspx

But the headline (and this is BEFORE these raced based license are issued) is this:


Current Diversity Statistics
Preliminary Industry Ownership Demographics Industry Totals

35% Racial and Ethnic Diversity Participation
57% Minority Participation Including Females


Preliminary Industry Employee Demographics Industry Totals

58% Racial and Ethnic Diversity Participation
75% Minority Participation Including Females


I have said it before and will again....this is just a money grab for by the MLBC for their black constituents. They really don't care if you are Hmong or Tibetan or.....????


Maryland's plan to diversify medical cannabis market attracts 160 applicants for 14 new licenses despite snags

Maryland’s attempt to promote diverse ownership in its medical cannabis industry has attracted more than 160 applications from firms seeking to score one of the state’s 14 new licenses.

More than a year after state lawmakers and Gov. Larry Hogan passed a law to boost participation by minority- and women-owned businesses, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission announced that competition will be fierce for four cannabis growing licenses and 10 for processing the plant into medical products.

Despite the healthy interest by companies, the new application process — like so many other milestones in Maryland’s medical marijuana market — has been marred by malfunction that regulators will work on fixing by Friday.

Many applicants faced technical problems with their submissions as the state’s online portal was inundated at last Friday’s 5 p.m. deadline, commission officials said. But they assured applicants that the technical issues should not prevent anyone from getting a fair shot at a stake in a fast-growing industry that generated $109 million in sales last year.

“We know how hard folks have worked over the past several months to put together highly qualified applications,” said commission chairman Brian Lopez. “The commission does not intend to penalize applicants who would have submitted completed packages on time if they had not encountered system errors beyond their control.”

Lopez said all applicants that submitted their $2,000 application fees will be notified by Friday whether their packages were completed properly or if additional information is required.




Executive Director Joy Strand said the commission will “work with each and every applicant” to address whatever technical issues they might have faced.

“The commission has stressed fairness and transparency throughout the application period, and we remain committed to providing all applicants and stakeholders with a transparent view of the process,” Strand said.

More than two years ago the commission faced significant criticism and lawsuits for how it picked the first 15 companies to grow cannabis. And the state’s Legislative Black Caucus was outraged that companies owned by African Americans did not win any of the preliminary growing licenses.

A state-commissioned “disparity study” confirmed that minorities and women had been shut out of the industry, an analysis that provided the legal support needed to implement “race- and gender-based measures to remediate discrimination,” the study stated.

With the study completed, the General Assembly passed legislation in 2018 to expand the marijuana growing operations to try to give minorities an ownership role.

Strand, Lopez and commission staff have spent much of the past year traveling the state to raise awareness of the new licenses within the minority business community at forums and seminars at community centers, historically black colleges and other places.

Del. Cheryl Glenn, a Baltimore Democrat who has been involved for years in developing industry regulations, said she is hopeful the state’s efforts will result in a more diverse industry.




Glenn praised the commission, the Attorney General’s office and black caucus for devising a process that should add more minority- and women-owned companies to an industry that recorded nearly $50 million in sales for the first three months of this year, four times more than in the same period in 2018, when many dispensaries weren’t open yet.

“We went as far as we could legally to make sure the diversity piece would be real this time, understanding that you can’t set aside licenses,” Glenn said. “Now we have to wait for the final outcome.”

Not everyone has been pleased with the process. Curio Wellness, a Baltimore County cannabis grower started by prominent Democratic supporter Michael Bronfein, sued the commission in March over the process. He asserted the state was jeopardizing the company’s $10 million investment by violating regulations that originally promised a “strictly limited number” of licenses. Bronfein dropped the lawsuit amid criticism from lawmakers, regulators, patients and other growers that it would derail the yearlong effort to improve diversity in the industry.

As of last month, there were 15 licensed growers, 16 processors and 75 retail stores called dispensaries across Maryland with an additional three growers, two processors and 32 dispensaries in preapproval stage.

Once the technical issues are resolved, the commission will turn over review of the applications to “an independent panel of subject matter experts” that will evaluate each based on multiple criteria through July 26.

“I’m sure the commission understands the importance of making sure that we have the diversity that we should have in Maryland,” Glenn said. “I’m hoping most of the licenses will be awarded not only to minorities, but to Maryland minorities. That’s the whole reason we’re doing this.
 
This is beautiful. My very blue state is bending over backward to get minority and people living in financially disadvantaged area new grow and processor licenses.

The max personal net worth to be a financially disadvantaged person is.....yes, Dorothy...it really does say $1.7M. So, how many of us are disadvantaged. I am....sheesh

From MD's FAQ on the 2019 license application process.


Q: What is the upper personal net worth (PNW) limit that the Commissionallows in it draft Application to qualify as a “Disadvantaged Equity Applicant?”

A: 2018 -$1,713,333; or2019 -$1,749,347The Personal Net Worth (PNW) limit in order to qualify as a Disadvantaged Equity Applicant/Member of the Most Disadvantaged Groups in the medical cannabis industry for the medical cannabis grower and processor Applications is $1,713,333.​
 
Temescal Wellness of Maryland Rebrands as Evermore Cannabis Company LLC

BALTIMORE, Nov. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective November 19th, 2018, Temescal Wellness of Maryland, LLC will be renamed Evermore Cannabis Company LLC, ("Evermore"). This current rebrand is the first step in the complete separation from Temescal Wellness, LLC. Evermore is currently Baltimore City's only licensed medical cannabis cultivator and processor. Evermore consists of principals and team members who are Baltimore natives committed to supporting, educating, and giving back to the communities they serve.

Evermore's patient-centric approach and ideals are grounded in the premise that they are defined by products of the highest quality and the best services. Evermore will continue to cultivate, process and distribute the same high-quality lab tested medical cannabis that patients across Maryland have come to enjoy over the past year.

In addition to existing lines of terpene-rich flower, pre-rolls, vape cartridges, tinctures, capsules, wax, shatter and sap, Evermore will introduce new concentrates into the Maryland market, including high terpene full spectrum extracts and high cannabinoid full spectrum extracts.

Over the next few months, Evermore will roll out new products, sales and marketing collateral, and user-friendly online ordering options for dispensaries. The Evermore team will "pop-up" at various dispensary events across Maryland to talk with staff and patients about its commitment to producing medical cannabis that will provide safe and consistent symptom relief.

As a team, Evermore leverages decades of combined experience in the cannabis field to cultivate unique varieties of flower. "After many months of planning and preparation, we could not be more excited to finally become the company that we believe better represents our true vision, culture and identity within the marketplace." Evermore Principal Craig Schulman explains, "Moving forward, patients can expect to find the same great flower, concentrates and extracts, and a greater-enhanced product line, that will better serve the needs of every patient throughout Maryland. The transition to Evermore will take place in steps over the next few weeks and months, and will culminate in the launch of our new dispensary brand, which will be announced at a later date, so stay tuned!"

Patients can find Evermore products at various licensed dispensaries across Maryland. Sign up for more information at www.evermorecompany.com.

Evermore Cannabis Company
Growing Happiness™
www.evermorecompany.com
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @evermorecompany

Corporate Contact
Craig Schulman
craig@evermorecompany.com

Investor Contact
Eric Radz
eric@evermorecompany.com

Wholesale Inquiries
Jason Marshall
sales@evermorecompany.com

SOURCE Evermore Cannabis Company

Related Links
https://www.evermorecompany.com
 
this is on the subject of contaminants in our cannabis. Note, they really don't tell you what they mean by "exposed coils" versus a cart such as a CCell that has the metal (I believe) embedded in ceramic. That is what seems to be the issue...direct exposure of lead containing metal heating elements seem to, over time, leech some level of lead into the contents. But wow, a bit more specific info would be appreciated.

Very typical for our underfunded and understaffed MJ commission...they are always a bit late to the party and come in mufti when the party is a costume one. haha


BULLETIN: 2019 -009
Effective Date: June 14, 2019
Potential Lead Contamination in Used Vape Cartridges
Linthicum, MD
(June 14, 2019)


The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) is providing this advisory to notify patients and other stakeholders of potential lead contamination of cannabis liquids in vape cartridges following exposure to heat. Following reports in other states of lead leaking into the cannabis liquid in some used vape cartridges, the MMCC initiated an investigation, including testing of Maryland vape cartridgesfor the presence of lead and other metals.The results indicate that while lead is not present in Maryland vape cartridges at the time of product testing, lead may leach into the product from exposure to the heating coils with use, over time. Medical cannabis patients who medicate by vaping should be aware of this potential contamination, which, if occurring, would occur after compliance testing.

According to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, lead has been found in several brands of cartridges used for vaping. Although the lead is in the heating coils of the device, overtime it can leach into the product. Lead contamination in vape cartridges is not limited to Maryland’s medical cannabis market. The MMCC is aware of medical cannabis marketsacross the country experiencing the same issues with vape cartridge contamination.

While there is limited research on this topic, multiple studies on e-liquids have discovered elevated levels of lead in vape liquids due to the composition of vape cartridges:

  • Researchers at John Hopkins found minimal amounts of metals in the e-liquids within refilling dispensers, but much larger amounts of some metals in the e-liquids that had been exposed to the heating coils within e-cigarette tanks. The difference indicated that the metals almost certainly had come from the coils. Most importantly, the scientists showed that the metal contamination carried over to the aerosols produced by heating the e-liquids.

  • Among the samples collected in another study, none of the bottles of e-liquids contained detectable levels of lead, which suggests that lead concentrations in disposable e-cigarettes may be related to the proximity of e-liquid to metal components in the product. There was also a significant difference in lead concentration between cartridge and open wick disposable systems, which suggests that the design of the vape products evaluated in this study contributed to overall lead exposure.

In the interest of public safety, the Commission will issue enhanced laboratory testing requirements to further investigate the potential presence of lead in vape cartridges. Effective immediately all compliance testing for vape cartridges will include a heavy metals analysis. If any vape cartridge exceedsMMCC’s heavy metals testing limits the product will not be made available for sale at licensed dispensaries.

Lori Dodson, M.S. MT (ASCP)Deputy Director


Potential Lead Contamination in Used Vape Cartridges Questions and Answers
June 14, 2019

Do vape cartridges offered for sale in Maryland contain lead?
To date, no finished vape product has tested positive for elevated levels of lead at the time of compliance testing (e.g., prior to distribution or sale). However, reports in other states and a small sample of used vape cartridges tested in Maryland indicate that lead may leach from metal heating coils into the cannabis liquid within the vape cartridge with use, over time. The MMCChasimplementedexpanded laboratory testing for the presence of lead and other heavy metals. If any medical cannabis finished product is determined to contain elevated lead levels, the product may not beoffered for distribution or sale to patients or caregivers.

Has the MMCC ordered a recall of any vape products?
No vape products have been recalled at this time.To date, no medical cannabis finished product in Maryland has tested positive for elevated levels of lead prior to distribution or sale. However, the MMCC has implemented expanded laboratory testing for lead and other heavy metals based on reports of elevated lead levels in vape products available in other states. If a sample analysis of a batch or lot of medical cannabis, including vape products, reveals elevated levels of lead, the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 10.62.17 requires a licensee to: (1) order a recall of the batch or lot, (2) notify any patient, caregiver, or dispensary who may have obtained medical cannabis from the batch or lot, and (3) offer and pay any reimbursement for any returned medical cannabis. In addition, if any product test results in elevated lead levels under the newly implemented heavy metals testing requirements, the product may not be offered for distribution or sale.

May a patient test their vape products at a registered independent testing laboratory?
No. Registered independent testing laboratories that conduct compliance testing for medical cannabis products may only test samples obtained from a licensed medical cannabis grower or processor.

Which vape products are potentially impacted?
While there is limited research on this topic, multiple studies on e-liquids have discovered elevated levels of lead in vape liquids due to lead in metal heating coils leaching into the vape cartridge with use, over time. The MMCC is not aware of any heavy metal leaching in vape products that use ceramic components.

If a patient is concerned their vape product may contain elevated levels of leadare they able to return the product?
The MMCC has not ordered a recall of any vape products. Concerned patients or caregivers may contact the licensed dispensary where the product was purchased to determine how the unused vape product may be returned for disposal.
 
University of Maryland is first in the nation to launch degree in medical cannabis science

BALTIMORE (ABC7) — The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has launched the nation's first Master of Science program in medical cannabis science and therapeutics.

The university says the degree will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to support patients and the medical cannabis industry.


The program will be based at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Rockville, Md. It will be a two-year program designed for any individuals who has completed his or her undergraduate degree and is interested in pursuing a career in the medical cannabis industry.

“Medical cannabis has been legalized in 33 states, including Maryland, as well as in Washington, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico,” says Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FCP, FAAPS, dean and professor of the School of Pharmacy. “This number is only expected to increase in the future, fueling a demand for an educated workforce that is well-trained in both the science and therapeutic effects associated with this medicinal plant. Our MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics has been critically designed to prepare students to meet this demand. Innovations in instructional design throughout the curriculum will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to make a positive impact on communities across the United States.”

The application deadline for this program is August 15, for classes beginning on August 26, 2019.

The MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics does not require the completion of a thesis. Instead, students complete a capstone course that features a selection of expert seminars, case studies, and discussions.

To learn more, click here.
 
Maryland task force begins work on potential legalization of marijuana

Should marijuana be legalized in Maryland? How should it be taxed? What impact would legalization have on crime rates and residents’ health?

A Maryland General Assembly task force on Tuesday began its work on studying possible legalization of cannabis for adult use — a signal the legislature is getting serious about moving forward with legislation next year.

“I don’t think there’s a foregone conclusion here,” said state Sen. Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat who is co-chair of the bipartisan task force. “We really need to dig into: What have other states learned? What is different about Maryland?”

At the work group’s first meeting in Annapolis, Ferguson said the task force would finish its work “potentially” by the end of the year, but it was unclear what the members would recommend.

Del. Kathleen Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat and co-chair of the task force, said the body will form subcommittees to study the impact of marijuana legalization on criminal justice and public health, while considering best approaches to taxation, licensing and ensuring participation by small, woman-owned and minority-owned businesses.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and late House Speaker Michael Busch formed the work group in February to make recommendations at the end of December that could be used to develop bills for the 2020 legislative session.

Lawmakers are looking for additional revenue streams — including taxing marijuana and legalizing sports betting — to help fund the proposals from the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education. The so-called Kirwan commission, nicknamed after its chairman, former University System of Maryland Chancellor William “Brit” Kirwan, has recommended ambitious proposals to boost schools that total about $3.8 billion annually.

On Tuesday, the Marijuana Legalization Workgroup heard testimony from Mathew Swinburne, an associate director with the Network for Public Health Law, about how state legalization efforts have come into conflict with federal prohibitions.

Colorado and Washington became the first states in the country to legalize marijuana for adult use in 2012. Now, 10 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug — even though it remains illegal under federal law.


Marijuana was among the largest cash crops in America — used for textiles, paper, oil, rope and medicine — until the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act imposed registration and reporting requirements as well as taxes on the industry, Swinburne testified.

In 1951, amid concern that marijuana was a gateway to heroin and other more dangerous drugs, the Boggs Act lumped marijuana in with narcotics and made possession punishable by a minimum of two years in prison. Subsequent laws increased criminal penalties, and the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana as having no acceptable medical use and high potential for abuse.

Sen. Andrew A. Serafini, a Republican from Washington County, questioned whether banking won’t prove difficult for marijuana companies since their product is illegal under federal law.

“There’s a lot of money flowing right now and many banks aren’t going to deal with this,” Serafini said.

But Sen. Brian J. Feldman, a Democrat from Montgomery County, said he knew of banks in the state that are “happily accepting cannabis deposits.”


The work group also heard from William C. Tilburg, the director of policy and government affairs for the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, who said medical marijuana is expanding quickly in the state.

The state’s medical marijuana industry has 15 growers, 18 processors and 77 dispensaries, he said.

Retail sales have grown from $2.6 million in January in 2018 to $19.5 million in May. In 2018, medical cannabis sales totaled $109 million for the year.

Task force member Del. Nick J. Mosby, a Baltimore Democrat, said he wants to make sure a diverse group of business owners would benefit from the legalization of marijuana.

Nationally, African Americans are nearly four times as likely to be arrested on marijuana charges as white people, despite surveys showing similar usage rates among the races. But business owners benefiting from the new marijuana industry are mainly white, Tilburg testified.

Maryland has just one African-American grower, he said.

“Less than 1 percent of total businesses in the country are African American owned,” Tilburg testified.

Mosby suggested eliminating caps on how many license-holders could sell marijuana in Maryland.

“Is there an advantage to the residents of Maryland to have an arbitrarily limited cap on the number of licenses, particularly when you look at the fact that this industry is doing so well — $86 million in six months to a handful of folks?”

Ragina C. Ali, manager of Public and Government Affairs for the Maryland Office of AAA Mid-Atlantic, said the driver advocacy group is watching the task force’s work closely.

Ali said the organization is “concerned” about the lack of a reliable method to determine whether a person is high while driving a vehicle the way there is for determining a driver’s level of alcohol intoxication.

Members of the committee include Democratic delegates Jay Walker, Vanessa Atterbeary, Eric Bromwell, David Moon and Sandy Rosenberg; Republican delegates Nic Kipke and Kathy Szeliga; Democratic senators Jill P. Carter, Melony Griffith, Guy Guzzone, Douglas J.J. Peters and Jeff Waldstreicher, and Republican senators Stephen Hershey and Chris West.

The discussions in Annapolis include whether legislators should seek to directly legalize recreational marijuana use by passing a bill or take the route of legislation that would set up a referendum for voters on the 2020 ballot.
 
Taneytown’s medical cannabis growing facility is expanding production, jobs
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When Grassroots Cannabis first moved into its medical cannabis growing facility in Taneytown, the business didn’t know how big the market would be. Two years later, it’s expanding both production and hiring.

The facility wasn’t harnessing all of its potential growing space when it began operations in 2017, using about 32,000 square feet of the establishment, so now the company is planning to expand its production space to the remainder of the facility’s 54,000-square-foot capacity, said Andy Cohen, one of the partners in Grassroots Cannabis.

There are a lot of different parts of the facility needed to grow the product, Cohen said — with rooms for drying and curing, trimming, testing, packaging and more — but the expansion will just be for additional rooms devoted to growing marijuana flower.

“We can’t produce enough product to satisfy our customers, which is why we are expanding,” said Cohen, of Reisterstown. “We also want to satisfy the patient base in the state that is looking for the medicine that we produce, and we want to make sure we get enough of it out there.”

Though he couldn’t “divulge specific financial information,” Cohen said Grassroots has seen growth similar to that of the Maryland medical cannabis program, which is “growing robustly."


Folders


Folders
Herbology-branded folders and water bottles on the Westminster dispensary's opening day, July 15. (Leah Brennan / Carroll County Times)
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After some plumbing, electric and HVAC-related internal construction, the extra space will allow the facility to multiply its production capabilities — going from producing between 50 and 70 pounds of flower per week to between 200 and 250 pounds per week, Cohen said.

And that extra production will mean they’ll need to hire about another 30 employees, Cohen said.

“Our first priority is always to hire locally, whether that’s Taneytown or Carroll County,” Cohen said. “Fifty percent of our employees already are from either Carroll or Frederick County, so we absolutely would expect to increase that.”

Grassroots, also known as Maryland Compassionate Care and Wellness LLC before a rebranding, won approval for the expansion at the Taneytown planning commission’s Monday meeting.

“We let them start working on their interior renovations with what the county calls a contingent start,” James Wieprecht, the city’s director of planning, said after that meeting. “That lets them begin framing, rough wiring, but it doesn’t give them the ability to get any work inspected.”

Grassroots’ expansion follows recent growth of the medical cannabis industry in Carroll County, which got its first medical cannabis dispensary, Herbology, in July.

The expansion is already underway and should be complete by Nov. 1, Cohen said.

“We’re excited and thankful that the market has done well, that the patients have taken well to our products with dispensary support,” Cohen said. “We’re super thankful and humble and excited to be a part of the Maryland program."
 
Marijuana funk no longer probable cause to search people; Maryland appeals court cites Bob Dylan in ruling

Citing Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin,” Maryland highest court ruled this week that the smell of marijuana alone is not enough justification for law enforcement to search a person.

The 7-0 Maryland Court of Appeals opinion differentiates between the necessary level of probable cause that law enforcement must obtain to search a vehicle and what it needs to search a person.

Police can still use the smell of marijuana as justification to search a vehicle, the opinion said. But they can’t search anyone in the vehicle unless they find evidence of a crime, not even if police find a small amount of marijuana.

[See Also] Maryland's plan to diversify medical cannabis market attracts 160 applicants for 14 new licenses despite snags »

“The same facts and circumstances that justify a search of an automobile do not necessarily justify an arrest and search incident thereto. This is based on the heightened expectation of privacy one enjoys in his or her person as compared to the diminished expectation of privacy one has in an automobile,” the court said.

The opinion comes five years after the state legislature decriminalized marijuana under 10 grams or less. Such small amounts are considered a civil offense, not a criminal offense, and can result in a citation that carries a $100 fine.

The ruling is a sign of the changing landscape for marijuana, something the justices noted - somewhat playfully - by placing Dylan’s famous words in a notation at the very top of their order.

The opinion stems from the arrest and search of Michael Pacheco who, on May 26, 2016, was sitting in a parked vehicle in Wheaton with a marijuana joint when he was approached by two Montgomery County Police officers. Officers testified that they smelled “fresh burnt” marijuana, found Pacheco seated in the driver’s seat alone, and a marijuana cigarette in the vehicle’s center console, the opinion said.

[Related] Most Americans don't think it's a problem to drive high. Here's why it is. »

Officers ordered Pacheco out of the car, searched him and found cocaine in Pacheco’s “left front pocket.” Then they searched his car where they found a marijuana stem and two packets of rolling papers. He was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute it. He was also given a citation for possessing less than ten grams of marijuana.

Pacheco moved to suppress the cocaine, arguing it was an illegal search of his person because officers lacked probable cause to believe he possessed ten grams or more of marijuana. But prosecutors argued the marijuana odor provided probable cause to search both the vehicle Pacheco, the opinion said.

Pacheco entered a conditional guilty plea, which still allowed him to appeal to the Court of Special Appeals. He lost at that level when the court found the officers did have probable cause. But the Court of Appeals said the lower court’s opinion largely relied on “pre-decriminalization cases.”

Pacheco’s search and arrest “was unreasonable because nothing in the record suggests that possession of a joint and the odor of burnt marijuana gave the police probable cause to believe he was in possession of a criminal amount of that substance,” the opinion said.

Pacheco’s trial attorney, Richard A. Finci, praised the ruling, saying the court’s opinion mirrored his own argument.

“Evidence of possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana is not probable cause for arrest and therefore a search is not lawful,” he said in an interview.

But Finci said he believes the court should also find that the odor of marijuana also is not enough justification to search a vehicle.

“I think it needs to go further,” he said, noting that odor of alcohol alone doesn’t warrant the lawful search of a vehicle.

In a separate, concurring opinion, judges wrote that its latest opinion is “reasonable and thoughtful" but limited.

The concurrent opinion said officers must still be allowed to search a vehicle if they smell marijuana because “In particular, it may be evidence of: possession of 10 grams or more of marijuana, possession of the drug with the intent to distribute, or the operation of a vehicle under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance."

An officer in similar circumstances to the Pacheco case “will be duty-bound” to investigate whether the individual could be driving under the influence, the court said.

“In many situations involving those circumstances, the officer will have probable cause – which (this Court has agreed) “is not a high bar” – to arrest the individual for that offense,” the concurring opinion said.

The concurring opinion cited vehicle crashes “linked to marijuana-impaired driving rose by nearly 40 percent” between 2017 and 2018.

A spokeswoman with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, which represents the state in Court of Appeals cases, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.




 
Maryland lawmakers have a lot to learn on legalizing marijuana. Here are 5 things the experts taught them.

As Maryland’s lawmakers delve into the nuances of whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use, they’re learning that they have a lot of details to figure out.

A joint House of Delegates-Senate work group on legalization met Monday for the second time, as members build up their knowledge of the drug before recommending whether — and how — it should be further legalized.

The group is meeting between now and the start of the next legislative session in January, with the goal of developing recommendations. Lawmakers could consider passing a law that would legalize the drug for recreational use by adults, or they could send the question to Maryland voters in a referendum on the 2020 ballot.

Here are some facts that lawmakers learned about the legal pot industry from experts at the latest meeting.

It’s difficult to tell how much money the state could make from legal marijuana.


There are only a handful of states with legal marijuana markets, and only a couple that have more than a few years of experience. So, it’s difficult to rely on data from those states to predict how big a retail industry could be in Maryland, and how much money the state could take in in taxes.

“This is going to take four or five years before there’s a significant revenue that could be forecasted,” said William Tilburg, director of policy for the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission.

Tilburg cited a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts that cautioned that marijuana revenues can be unpredictable.

Marijuana tax revenue could be gobbled up by expenses.

Establishing and regulating a retail marijuana market comes at a cost to state and local governments.


It’s likely that multiple agencies would be involved in vetting and licensing marijuana businesses, collecting the taxes, ensuring the safety and quality of the product, enforcing regulations, training police in identifying drug-impaired drivers, and educating children and others about the risks of marijuana use.

Tilburg pointed to Colorado, where the first year of legalized marijuana brought in $266 million in taxes — but the state spent $75 million on related regulation, enforcement, education and public health programs. Likewise, California had $300 million in marijuana revenue to the state, but expenses of $129 million.

“There are significant costs associated with running these programs,” Tilburg said.

Some states allow local towns and counties to block marijuana businesses from opening.

Several states allow local governments to opt out of having marijuana businesses in their jurisdiction, said Mathew R. Swinburne, associate director of the Network for Public Health Law. Those local governments can block the businesses by legislation or a voter initiative.


Maine offers the opposite path: Marijuana businesses can open in a local jurisdiction only if that jurisdiction passes a measure permitting them.

John Hudak, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, said counties that refuse marijuana businesses also may, as a consequence, give up some tax revenue. That loss could come even though they’d still have residents using the drug with its attendant consequences, such as impaired driving, and would still need to educate the public.

“Rationally, it would make sense to embrace it,” Hudak said, so local governments have money available to respond to challenges associated with legalization.

‘Gifting’ marijuana could be an issue.

Washington, D.C., has legal marijuana, but the federal government has blocked the district from allowing a retail market to open up. So, entrepreneurs have found a way around that, Swinburne said.

The District of Columbia, like most states with legal marijuana, allows for a certain amount of marijuana to be given to a person for free. An industry has sprung up where businesses charge a large price tag for a product of nominal value — $80 for a T-shirt, for example — and the customer receives a “gift” of a certain amount of marijuana, Swinburne said.

A similar system emerged in Vermont, but that state’s attorney general shut it down, Swinburne said.

Equity is a concern.

Some lawmakers and legalization advocates have promoted legalization as an opportunity to rectify racial disparities from past marijuana law enforcement.

Marijuana enforcement has typically adversely affected people of color, who are more likely than white people to to be arrested for drug possession, hindering employment and other opportunities.


If marijuana is legalized, lawmakers likely would address how to allow people with minor drug possessions to get their court record cleared. They would also consider how to encourage minority business participation in the industry. That’s something that’s been a challenge in Maryland’s medical cannabis industry.

Hudak said the first few states that legalized marijuana did not talk much about social justice and racial justice related to marijuana, but the issue is growing in importance.

“This is an area that I think is exciting, in terms of the public policy conversation focusing on an important part of what has happened in this nation’s past,” Hudak said.

Swinburne offered Illinois as a possible model for addressing racial equity issues. Illinois will automatically expunge the records of minor marijuana convictions and arrests that didn’t result in convictions, while other records will need a request from the individual or a prosecutor. Illinois also is setting up a low-interest loan program for “social equity applicants" who have drug arrests or live in an area with a high number of drug arrests.



 
From the Maryland MMCC:

Maryland Department of Health Investigating Cases of Severe Lung Illness in People Using E-Cigarettes

At this time, no reported cases linked to MMCC patients

Linthicum, MD – (August 29, 2019) – The Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) is assisting the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to investigate several reported cases of severe lung illness in people using electronic cigarettes, also commonly referred to as vapes. MDH has identified five individuals who in the last two months developed severe lung illness after using electronic cigarettes or vapes.At this time, none of the reported cases involve Maryland medical cannabis patients.

According to MDH, the cause of these illnesses is not yet known and has not been linked to any particular vape device, brand, or substance. People who became ill reported using a variety of vaping products, including those containing cannabis or THC. If any individual experiences trouble breathing, the Maryland Poison Center recommends seeking immediate medical attention.

Medical cannabis patients who use vape products are encouraged to report any unexplained serious respiratory illness to the MMCC and their certifying provider. Patients and certifying providers may report suspected cases to MMCC via email at reporting.mmcc@maryland.gov. In addition, patients and providers are encouraged to report suspected cases to their local health department. Any medical cannabis licensee who receives a report of a vaping-related illness must promptly report the incident to the MMCC.

Patient safety is paramount to the Commission, and we are working with the Department of Health and others to determine whether any medical cannabis patients may be experiencing similar symptoms, said Acting MMCC Executive Director Will Tilburg.

The investigation in Maryland follows reports of vaping-related illness in at least 22 states, including one death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that vapes, whether containing nicotine or cannabis, may contain harmful and potentially harmful substances. On June 14, the MMCC issued an advisory notifying patients and other stakeholders of potential lead contamination of cannabis liquids in vape cartridges. Following the advisory, the MMCC instituted enhanced laboratory testing requirements to further investigate the potential presence of lead and other heavy metals in vape cartridges.

For additional information, please see the MDH communication issued on August 28, (attached) or visit https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/OEHFP/EH/Pages/VapingIllness.aspx..

And attached to this notice was this from the MD department of health

Maryland Department of Health investigating cases of severe lung illness in people using e-cigarettes Baltimore, MD –

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Poison Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy have identified five individuals who in the last two months developed severe lung illness after using e-cigarettes, often referred to as “vaping.”

Respiratory symptoms reported by patients included shortness of breath, pain associated with breathing and cough. Other symptoms reported included fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The cases displayed no clear infectious cause and all required hospitalization.

To date, none of the cases in Maryland have been fatal. These cases are part of the nearly 200 reported incidents of vaping-related illness in 22 states, resulting in at least one death.

“The Maryland Department of Health is taking this issue seriously and is working with local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration to identify anyone who may be experiencing similar symptoms,” said MDH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Frances B. Phillips.

The cause of these illnesses is not yet known and has not been linked to any particular device, substance or brand. People who became ill reported using a variety of vaping products, including those containing marijuana and THC and those containing nicotine.

“This is a serious and potentially life-threating illness,” said Bruce Anderson, Executive Director of the Maryland Poison Center. “If you have used e-cigarettes or vaped in the past weeks or months, and you start to have trouble breathing, stop using these products and seek immediate medical attention.”

Many vaping products have been found to contain substances that can be toxic when inhaled and might not be listed on product packaging.

“There is so much we don’t know about the contents of these products. The best way to keep yourself safe is to not use e-cigarettes or vapes,” said Dawn Berkowitz, Director for the MDH Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control. “We know quitting is hard, but there are resources available to help. Trained professionals are available 24/7 to help you stop vaping or smoking.”

MDH encourages medical providers caring for patients with unexplained serious respiratory illness to ask about a history of recent e-cigarette use or vaping, and to report suspected cases to their local health department.

MDH will post updated case information as it becomes available to https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/OEHFP/EH/Pages/VapingIllness.aspx.
 
A bigger crop: Why Maryland’s medical pot growers are adding more plants

WARWICK, Md. — The air inside SunMed Growers’ sprawling, $10 million marijuana greenhouse was thick with the citrusy aroma of freshly harvested Lemon Skunk.


Outside, heavy machinery cleared land for about 30,000 additional plants.


“This is tripling for medical,” said owner Jake Van Wingerden, a former chairman of the Maryland Wholesale Medical Cannabis Trade Association. “We’re ready to double again if recreational comes along.”


After a rocky start, Maryland’s medical cannabis industry is expanding. Cultivators across the state are dramatically adding capacity — to meet the needs of patients floodingthe market and to potentially service recreational users in the future.


Industry analysts had predicted the market would gross $60 million in sales by its third year. But by the end of its first year, in December, purveyors’ gross sales surpassed $96 million.


Then lawmakers authorized the sale of edible cannabis products.


“Everything is falling into place,” said Kevin Goldberg, co-founder of Green Leaf Medical, a Frederick-based cultivating, processing and dispensary company that sells high-end medical cannabis products.


Three new growers are setting up shop alongside the 15 businesses that secured cultivating licenses three years ago. Regulators are expected to approve another four growing licenses by the end of the month, bringing the total number to 22.


This week, Van Wingerden will host a SunMed tour for politicians trying to devise what a regulated adult-use market should look like and determine how much of it should be modeled on the state’s medical marijuana program, which was approved in 2013 but did not begin sales until late 2017.


A successful and stable medical cannabis industry could buttress arguments that Maryland is ready to embrace recreational legalization, an option that is gaining appeal in some circles as a way to finance the state’s landmark education plan.


Brian Lopez, who chairs the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, said he believes growers are adding capacity in anticipation of “the adult use coming.”


Among other things, lawmakers are weighing how to structure a recreational cannabis industry so that it would displace the existing black market, prevent a spike in underage use, generate enough tax revenue to make it worthwhile and help communities disproportionately impacted in the past by marijuana-related arrests.


Matt Darin, co-founder and chief operating officer of Grassroots Cannabis, said Marylanders have embraced use of marijuana for medical purposes more quickly than residents of the 10 other states in which the company operates.


He said he believes the difference stems partly from social shifts: People have become more comfortable requesting the drug, and doctors with recommending it. But Maryland also crafted a patient-friendly program, Darin said, which compared to elsewhere has a more generous list of conditions that qualify for treatment.


“We’re hustling to expand our production,” said Darin, whose company is tripling growing space in its warehouse in Taneytown, east of Frederick near the Pennsylvania border.


Regulators noted that there is still substantial room for growth in the medical cannabis market in Maryland, which has opened 82 dispensaries across the state in less than two years.


In most states, medical marijuana patients account for 1 to 4 percent of the population, said William C. Timburg, the cannabis commission’s director of policy and government affairs. In Maryland, the 70,000 registered patients represent a little more than 1 percent of state residents. In theory, that means the medical marijuana market could quadruple.


The commission was overwhelmed this spring with about 1,200 patient inquiries a day, on top of about 300 applications to become a registered patient — an onslaught so great the agency purchased an emergency call center to deal with it.


As the industry expands, it’s also working to remedy problems — namely that minority-owned companies were largely shut out during the first round of licensing. For the round of business approvals underway, the cannabis commission identified 61 disadvantaged Zip codes and awarded an extra 15 points to applicants from those areas, provided they meet other socioeconomic and residency requirements.


Existing growers said their expansions also reflect an easing of the regulatory hiccups, legal challenges and political controversies that threatened to throttle the industry in its early days.


Maryland lawmakers dedicated few resources to launching the industry, relying on a panel of volunteers to come up with a way to regulate and administer it. The General Assembly also spent a few years debating how to restructure the industry’s regulations and passing new laws to expand how many companies could hold licenses to grow or process the drug.


“We’ve basically been operating on quicksand since the beginning,” said Mackie Barch, who now chairs the Maryland Wholesale Medical Cannabis Trade Association.


As the industry has taken off, some jurisdictions that initially were reluctant to embrace it have shifted their stances. Carroll and Anne Arundel counties, for example, have loosened restrictions on the businesses.


Last week, the University of Maryland’s School of Pharmacy launched its inaugural master’s degree program in medical cannabis and therapeutics.


And growers are carving out niche products in an attempt to differentiate themselves and corner market share.


Baltimore-based Curio Wellness sells marijuana salves in a spa setting that also offers massages and acupuncture. Green Leaf developed a “gLeaf” brand, which Goldberg described as a top-flight option comparable to the coveted Pappy Van Winkle brand of whiskey.


Barch, who owns the growing firm Culta, categorized his marijuana brand as similar to that of a craft beer — artisanally grown and sought after by connoisseurs but not hard to find. Think Dogfish Head beer.


Van Wingerden described his mass production operation as the Budweiser of the state’s cannabis industry: consistent, affordable, dependable and widely available.


“We want to be everywhere,” he said from his greenhouse in this rural corner of the Eastern Shore, where he grows more than 100 strains. Among them: Lemon Skunk (for depression), Qrazy Train (for anxiety) and Shark Shock (for epilepsy).


The General Assembly has created a work group to determine how the state could structure a legal market. Recommendations are due by the end of the year, in time for debate during the 2020 legislative session.


Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who in the past has said legalization should wait until the medical cannabis industry stabilizes, declined an interview request last week.


Officially, the cannabis wholesale industry is neutral on whether Maryland should legalize the drug for adult use. But several individual growers said they’d prefer to wait a few years before it launches, since patient demand is already so high.


“We should allow other states to blaze a path forward,” Van Wingerden said. “Then we should model it after another state where it works. We have worked hard. We have spent a ton of money. We’d like to operate for a few years — let it settle — before we have another round of fights in Annapolis.”
 
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WTF else is new.....sigh, yeah...this is Maryland.

I do wonder at the letter head below......FFS. Does that mean that they don't represent any other racial groups in their district? Hmmm?



Judge bars Maryland marijuana commission from issuing more licenses over concerns application process was flawed

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission delayed issuing more licenses to companies to grow and process medical marijuana on Thursday after a state judge prohibited the granting of the licenses because one company claimed the application process was botched.

The Legislative Black Caucus also asked the commission to postpone granting the licenses over concerns about whether minority-owned firms had a fair shot in this round of licenses, which was created by a state law meant to improve diversity in the fledgling industry.

The commission had been scheduled to announce the winners of four growing and 10 processing licenses during a public meeting Thursday in Annapolis. Instead, Chairman Brian Lopez said it would take more time to review the veracity of the applications for the coveted licenses. During the meeting, Lopez did not mention the order by the judge in Montgomery County, but acknowledged the concerns of the black caucus.

“We appreciate their comments and the feedback, and we will certainly look into the relevant issues and make sure we have resolution on those, as well,” said Lopez.
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Lest you think we are a bunch of racists in Maryland, this is the lead para of the criteria used to rank applicants for the licenses which were halted per the article above, to some extent again at the demands of the LBC.

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Please note the term "blinded", and its definition above, which was the process also used in the original license review process. Apparently that, and the added points for being 51% or more minority owned and being located in an economically disadvantaged area, not good enough to ensure that "minority-owned firms had a fair shot in this round of licenses" as demanded by the LBC.

I'm actually not sure what the hell they want but in the mean time stock of products is WAY down simply due to lack of capacity and growing number of patients.

Full criteria and how numbered only applicants ranked can be found here:

 
"For now, Culta plans to use all of its outdoor harvest for making processed cannabis products, such as dabs, tinctures and vape cartridges, rather than selling the whole flowers for smoking."​

And that's because there is no way in hell that true outdoor (versus greenhouse with natural sunlight) will pass testing requirements.


The East Coast’s first outdoor, commercial cannabis harvest is underway

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CAMBRIDGE, Md. — Out in the East Coast’s first commercial marijuana field last week, hundreds of “frosted” marijuana flowers glistened, the fall light dancing off the lucrative cannabis oils.
The gamble had paid off.
Nearly an acre of carefully tended marijuana plants had delivered something far from guaranteed: a commercial-scale harvest cultivated outdoors in a climate ill-suited for it.
Mackie Barch and a team of workers wore plastic sleeves and latex gloves to fend off the plants’ sticky and smelly resin, clipping stalk after stalk in what industry experts said is the first such harvest in this part of the country.
“It’s a race against the clock to get it out of the field,” said Barch, owner of the medical cannabis cultivation company Culta, which launched the multimillion dollar experiment.
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Marijuana farms in Northern California and Oregon have been growing pot plants outdoors for decades. Farms in Colorado are plentiful, too. But commercial growers on the East Coast until now have cultivated marijuana in warehouses or greenhouses.
Partly, that’s because the region has been slower to adopt legal marijuana industries. But mostly, it’s because the humid climate and variable temperatures on this side of the country create less-than-ideal conditions for outdoor cannabis.
Workers trim cannabis leaves from the plants' flowers at Maryland's first legal outdoor marijuana harvest. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
Workers trim cannabis leaves from the plants' flowers at Maryland's first legal outdoor marijuana harvest. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
Md. regulators delay new cannabis licenses amid complaints of unfairness
“You need six months of hot, dry days with cool nights, which few East Coast places have,” said Michael Wheeler, a vice president with Flow Kana, which works with hundreds of small outdoor marijuana farmers in Northern California.
“No diss against indoor, but outdoor is a totally different product,” Wheeler said. “If you’ve ever experienced the satisfaction of a ripe, sun-grown tomato from a farmers market, then you can appreciate the difference between outdoor grown cannabis and indoor.”
Culta, one of about a dozen legal medical cannabis cultivators in Maryland, mostly grows indoors, in a warehouse that cost more than $10 million and controls the strength of the breezes, the pH of the water, and the wavelengths, duration and intensity of the light.
Mackie Barch, president of Culta (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
Mackie Barch, president of Culta (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
But all that effort to artificially replicate ideal growing conditions is also expensive, roughly three times the price of putting irrigated plants in dirt outside. And as the still-new industry rapidly expands, growers can’t borrow from banks to finance their growth, in part because most financial institutions won’t lend to an industry that the federal government still considers illegal.
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As an alternative way to raise cash, Barch and his investors decided to take their chances, setting up an outdoor operation near their warehouse in a downtown Cambridge industrial area, on land Barch says was once home to a tuna cannery.
If Culta could grow cannabis outdoors for a third of the price, the company reasoned, it could plow the higher profit margins into more expansion.
And as the only outdoor cultivator in Maryland, Culta could theoretically perfect the process and corner the market in “sun-grown” cannabis, which is often marketed as organic and sustainable, with a lower carbon footprint.
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But the same way that heirloom tomatoes can vary widely in appearance, “sun-grown” cannabis can appear imperfect. Longtime marijuana lawyer and consultant Brian Vincente said that, though outdoor cannabis connoisseurs may beg to differ, “in general, it’s not viewed as much as a high-quality product.”
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For now, Culta plans to use all of its outdoor harvest for making processed cannabis products, such as dabs, tinctures and vape cartridges, rather than selling the whole flowers for smoking.
Massachusetts also permits large-scale commercial, outdoor cultivation. But none of the four companies approved to grow outdoors in Massachusetts have begun operations, regulators there said.
In Maryland, outdoor cultivation is effectively banned in some places by local zoning laws that regulate the scent emitted by cannabis plants. Other states have imposed restrictions because of safety concerns.
Roughly an acre plot of cannabis grows at Culta’s outdoor facility in Cambridge, Md. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
Roughly an acre plot of cannabis grows at Culta’s outdoor facility in Cambridge, Md. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
Vincente, whose Colorado-based cannabis law firm represents thousands of clients across the country, said those limits could ease as marijuana markets mature. When consumers become more interested in the benefits of outdoor cannabis — price and otherwise — he said, regulators tend to follow suit.
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“There’s a sort of rule of thumb that when marijuana first becomes legal, it gets regulated like plutonium,” Vincente said. “Most states don’t begin by allowing outdoor cultivation.”
For Culta’s experiment, Barch had to clear four inches of soil across three acres, much of it contaminated in the 1989 Cambridge Butter Fire, a multiday grease inferno in a nearby warehouse that had stockpiled 750 tons of butter, along with what news reports described as “millions of pounds of pork ribs, Butterball turkeys, hot dogs, crab cakes, eel and mackerel.”
The company then brought in dump trucks of full of dirt to raise the entire area by 18 inches, enough to keep most of the plants’ root systems out of the local water table.
Oklahoma approves one of the country’s most expansive medical pot bills
In late July, work crews planted a little under an acre with hundreds of different types of marijuana plants, each plant worth several thousand dollars. As they grow, workers manicure the plants, altering their natural Christmas-tree shape into something that resembles a crepe myrtle — an upward and outward spreading plant, heavy with flowers.
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“To the inexperienced eye, these all look like big, smelly marijuana plants. But if you look at them for a while, you can tell how different they are,” said Dave Myrowitz, Culta’s outdoor cultivation manager.
He pointed out a spindly, light-green plant, then a squat, deep-green one with purple veins in its flower. One plant smelled like powered orange Gatorade, another like a grape Fruit Roll-Up, and another gave off an aroma that smelled a little like cookies.
Dave Myrowitz harvests cannabis by clipping the plants' top flowers. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
Dave Myrowitz harvests cannabis by clipping the plants' top flowers. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
With a pair of garden shears, Myrowitz clipped two-foot long, flowering marijuana shafts, known as colas, and dropped them into a blue plastic bin. A team of 12 seasonal workers was waiting to strip the buds, which would then either be flash-frozen or cured like tobacco, depending on what the on-site processing lab hopes to use them for.
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The company harvests its indoor crop every three weeks. But the outdoor field is 20 times larger and requires the temporary workers to help make sure the plants get out of the ground and preserved quickly.
The fact that there’s so much to preserve is partly a matter of luck. This year’s hot summer, which ended with a drought, helped concentrate desirable marijuana compounds. A constant light breeze off the nearby Choptank River helped stave off mold, and there were no battles with unexpected pests — except for one panicked afternoon, when someone discovered an invasive caterpillar.
Why Maryland’s marijuana growers are adding more plants
A sticky coat of cannabis terpenes build on the gloves of Michael Anderson as he trims cannabis leaves from the plants' flowers at Culta in Cambridge, Md. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
A sticky coat of cannabis terpenes build on the gloves of Michael Anderson as he trims cannabis leaves from the plants' flowers at Culta in Cambridge, Md. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
Culta’s cultivators are not only looking for a plant that grows well in this climate. They’re also “pheno-hunting,” which is what cannabis cultivators call the process of identifying a plant that expresses just the right traits (phenotype) to make it a superstar among consumers. Roughly 90 percent of what was planted this year won’t be tried again, because the cultivators have deemed those varieties either not hardy enough or distinct enough.
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The other 10 percent will be cloned and replanted in bulk alongside more experiments, as cultivators search for a plant that produces the right amount of THC — the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — and has a nice variety of terpenes, the oily compounds that give each plant a distinct smell and flavor.
Industry experts said the longer growing season for outdoor cannabis allows the plants to develop and ripen more terpenes, another variable for experimentation that wouldn’t be practical inside a warehouse.
“We wouldn’t be able to experiment without hurting our production” indoors, Myrowitz said. But outside, “you can also go and find your gem.”
 

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