Author: Meghan Thompson
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Maryland Cannabis Industry Grew By 40 Percent in 2020
2020 was a catastrophic year for many (if not most) businesses in the U.S. but not for cannabis. The national cannabis industry was able to not only sustain—but significantly increase—sales nationwide amid a global pandemic, Maryland included. Between April 2020 and April 2021, Maryland’s medical cannabis dispensaries sold $500 million worth of cannabis. Monthly sales…
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Maryland General Assembly Failed To Legalize Gun Ownership For Medical Cannabis Users…Again
Federal law currently prohibits cannabis users from purchasing or possessing firearms —regardless of state law and even if they have a medical cannabis card. Maryland requires background checks for all firearm sales…including those through unlicensed retailers, also known as the “gun show” loophole. Because gun retailers are licensed by the ATF—and federal law prohibits cannabis…
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What I Learned In My Year As A Budtender
I felt somewhat embarrassed that my first job out of college was as a budtender. Not that I wasn’t grateful for such a cool job, but I held a grudge about graduating college into a global pandemic with a degree in journalism that I wouldn’t be using (shocker). I felt I was disappointing my parents…
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Why Some Maryland Cannabis Users Are Boycotting Culta
The two cannabis legalization bills that were submitted to the Maryland General Assembly will not receive a vote this session, a consequence of a pandemic-packed agenda and lawmakers’ inability to resolve small but crucial differences between the two bills. In an interview with The Outlaw Report, Del. Jazz Lewis, sponsor of the House legalization bill…
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Maryland Dispensary Robbery Illustrates Dangers of Cash-Only Cannabis
If you have been to a Maryland dispensary, you probably passed through at least three security checkpoints—a locked front door, a front desk check-in, and a locked door to the sales floor. Some dispensaries even hire full time security guards. This is because dispensaries are prone to robberies, not because of the cannabis—but the cash…
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Majority of Maryland Republicans Support Cannabis Legalization, Goucher Poll Finds
Two-thirds of Marylanders support legalizing cannabis for adult-use—including a majority of Republicans—according to a recent Goucher College Poll. 66 percent of Maryland residents support legalizing cannabis for adult-use while 29 percent are in opposition. Support for cannabis legalization among Maryland residents has grown since 2019 when the Goucher Poll found 57 percent of residents supported…
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A Tale of Two Bills: Md. Lawmakers Continue to Discuss Specifics of Cannabis Legalization
Maryland legislators continue to deliberate on the merits of two largely similar cannabis legalization bills—one in the House, one in the Senate—which differentiate in ways that will determine how accessible the adult-use cannabis industry is to those most harshly impacted by racist prohibition of cannabis. SB 708, sponsored by Sen. Brian J. Feldman and other…
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Baltimore Nurse Destigmatizes Medical Cannabis in Schools With Children’s Books “Asa’s Medicine”
In her new book Asa’s Medicine, Baltimore nurse Ashley Wynn-Grimes, R.N. teaches children and their parents about why some students are administered medical cannabis in school following the passage of H.B. 617 by the Maryland General Assembly in 2020. H.B. 617, “Conner and Raina’s Law” went into law without the governor’s signature last year permitting…
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D.C. Lawmakers Get Green Light to Work On Recreational Cannabis Regulations
Since the D.C. Attorney General gave district lawmakers the green light to work on cannabis regulations for the recreational program passed by residents in 2014, advocates are urging they include reparative measures addressing the historic harm to Black and brown communities caused by racist enforcement of cannabis prohibition. In a report published by the D.C.…
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Website Launch Causes Massive Delays for Maryland’s Medical Cannabis Patients & Physicians
Last Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) migrated their website to Maryland’s statewide licensing portal, One Stop, causing technical interruptions which prevented many medical cannabis patients from purchasing their medication. When dispensaries opened Tuesday morning, the website they typically use to check a patient’s identification, photo, doctor’s information and most importantly—their monthly…
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Maryland Bill Requires Workers’ Comp to Cover Medical Cannabis Like Opioids
Maryland lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow worker’s compensation to cover the cost of medical cannabis in order to provide an alternative to prescription opioid use for pain resulting from a work-related injury. Because medical cannabis is not currently covered by worker’s compensation in Maryland, those struggling with work-related injuries are instead prescribed opioids…
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Legalization Must Accommodate the Illicit Cannabis Market, Advocates Say
The Maryland General Assembly is inevitably going to legalize cannabis possession and sales for adult-use, whether it be this year or next, and lawmakers will begin developing regulations for Maryland’s portion of a young, complicated and fragmented industry with an especially resilient illicit market. The pros to legalization—additional tax revenue, reducing the incarcerated population, preserving…