Maryland officials announce winners of first-of-its-kind marijuana license lottery open to social equity applicants across all licensing categories, approving 174 growers, processors, and dispensaries did.
The Maryland Cannabis Authority (MCA) held a lottery last month. As the state marks the one-year anniversary of its first adult-use cannabis sale, regulators on Tuesday touted the fact on social media that they had “completed the nation's first round of applications designated solely for social equity purposes.” . Applicants across all license types and categories are eligible. ”
“The Social Equity License Lottery will expand Maryland's cannabis industry and provide social equity businesses with new economic opportunities in the state,” said MCA Director Will Tillberg. “I would like to thank the Moore-Miller Administration, the Maryland General Assembly, and the Department of Social Equity for their continued support during this process.”
MCA Social Equity Executive Director Audrey Johnson said the lottery results “reaffirm our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry.”
“I am proud that the selected applicants include many black people as well as women,” she said. “This milestone underscores our continued commitment to providing access to Marylanders most affected by the war on drugs.”
Maryland regulators have consistently promoted the state's equity-based approach to implementing legalization, including providing support to designated “disproportionately affected areas.” It included allowing initial license applications only to businesses owned by people who have lived there for at least five years.
Ahead of the application round, the MCA launched an online portal where people can check their eligibility for social equity marijuana business licenses before regulators begin issuing permits.
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Meanwhile, a Maryland House committee in February considered a Republican-led bill that would restore law enforcement's authority to stop and search vehicles for the smell of marijuana. But Democrats strongly opposed the proposal, pointing to the state's history of police disproportionately stopping people of color.
Also that month, Maryland Senate and House committees heard testimony on a bill that would protect workers from punishment for off-duty marijuana use. Under this measure, an employer must prove that an employee suffered a disability while working in order to fire him or take other adverse action against him.
The Senate also passed a bill in February aimed at protecting medical marijuana patients' gun rights under state law.
Maryland's cannabis market is popular, with the state expected to see record-breaking month-over-month sales through 2023. Overall marijuana sales in Maryland reached $96.5 million in December alone.
Meanwhile, lawmakers this week introduced a bill to Gov. Wes Moore (D) that would create a psychedelic task force to study legal access to substances such as psilocybin and DMT.
New Hampshire committee sends amended marijuana legalization bill to House floor for final vote before Senate consideration
Photo by Philip Stephan.
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