Category: Maryland
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Long-awaited Maryland lottery awards first social equity cannabis licenses, two counties still delayed due to litigation
After a 73-day delay, Maryland held its first cannabis lottery for adult-use licenses on March 14, 2024. The lottery awarded 174 lucky applicants dispensary, grower or processor licenses. This was the first opportunity for new businesses to enter the market since adult-use cannabis was legalized last summer. Until now, only existing medical dispensaries that expanded to…
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Newsletter: D.C. Cannabis Sales Blocked Again in Biden Budget as Maryland Awards Licenses
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Biden Budget Includes Rider Blocking D.C. Cannabis Sales, Again The Biden Administration has once again included a provision in its budget to block Washington D.C. from using funds to implement its voter-approved adult-use cannabis marketplace, continuing a nearly decade-long congressional intervention that has prevented the city from establishing a regulated cannabis industry despite local and…
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Maryland to social equity cannabis license lottery goes live: WATCH NOW
WATCH the MCA cannabis license lottery live. The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) announced lottery drawings for social equity cannabis licenses is being held. This is the first opportunity for new businesses to get adult-use licenses since legalization last summer. The lottery comes after a two and half month delay. It was supposed to be held…
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Newsletter: Unlicensed D.C. cannabis gifting shop raided despite starting transition to the legal market
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Unlicensed D.C. cannabis gifting shop raided despite starting transition to the legal market A placarded business, Kaliiva in Adams Morgan, was raided by D.C. police. Six employees were arrested, and the shop was shut down. The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration previously said that shops that were acting in good faith to transition to a…
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Maryland to hold social equity lottery this week for cannabis licenses despite lawsuits
The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) announced last week that the lottery drawings for social equity cannabis licenses will be held on Thursday, Mar. 14, 2024. This is the first opportunity for new businesses to get adult-use licenses since legalization last summer. The lottery comes after a two and half month delay. It was supposed to…
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Multi-state cannabis operator fined $55,000 in Maryland for skipping ownership approval
Maryland cannabis company Holistic Industries Inc. was fined $55,000 for failing to get approval before transferring ownership interests in its subsidiaries. The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) announced the consent order in February. They are a multistate operator. According to the companies own website, they have 15 legal stores in five different states including three in…
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Maryland cannabis lottery faces potential new delay as social equity applicant sues MCA
A new lawsuit filed against The Maryland Cannabis Administration threatens to delay the lottery after another separate lawsuit failed to get an injunction in February. A previous lawsuit filed by Jeffery Jensen, a lawyer with a history of bringing social equity lawsuits against states, failed to get an injunction last month. Andrew Garrison, chief of…
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VA Senate and House Democrats agree on adult-use market bill, set to standoff with Gov.
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Maryland Considers Law to Limit County Control Over Cannabis Dispensaries Maryland lawmakers are considering legislation to limit counties’ power to restrict cannabis dispensary locations. This comes after some counties used zoning to slow down or prevent dispensary openings, raising concerns from a powerful House committee chair who argues this undermines the state’s legalization efforts and…
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D.C. legal cannabis market sees record slow January sales as unlicensed shops transition to legal
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Prominent I-71 stores absent from D.C.’s legal cannabis transition Far fewer than expected D.C. gifting stores (76 applications vs. estimated hundreds) applied to transition into legal dispensaries. While 26 initially received placards, 65% remain unapproved, with some requiring revisions and others missing key details like location. Many stores that joined an industry group called The…
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Unlicensed cannabis shops face enforcement this week unless they applied for medical licenses
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D.C. I-71 shop enforcement reported to start this week All unlicensed dispensaries who operate in the gray market under I-71, will no longer be exempt from enforcement unless they are one of the 76 applicants who applied for a medical license. Enforcement against unlicensed operators will begin after the agency publishes a list of all…
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Maryland is the next victim caught in California lawyer’s web of social equity cannabis lawsuits
Maryland is the most recent victim of a California lawyer and cannabis entrepreneur’s serial suing of state cannabis social equity programs. Jeffrey Jensen filed a lawsuit on behalf of his wife Justyna Jensen, both of whom live in Pasadena, California. Jensen claims that the Maryland Cannabis Administration’s requirement of state residency to qualify for social…
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Weed Wars: lawsuits, equity concerns cloud East Coast legalization
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Next steps on the horizon The social equity application period for retail stores opens at 9 A.M. of Mar. 1, 2024 until April 30, 2024. ABCA will host an info session tomorrow at 10 A.M., register here. Additional information is available at abca.dc.gov and questions can be directed to ABCA.CannabisLicensing@dc.gov. D.C. medical cannabis sales close…