Maryland Cannabis Administration Announces First Application Round for Cannabis Business Licenses
The first application round for cannabis business licenses in Maryland will open on November 13th. Acting Director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration, Will Tilburg, says this application round will more than double the number of cannabis businesses statewide. Over 175 standard and micro cannabis grower, processor and dispensary licenses available in the first round will be exclusive to social equity applicants. The application round will be open for 30 days – closing on December 12th.
Additional information from the Maryland Cannabis Administration:
The Administration also announced the number of licenses, by license type, that will be available in the first application round.
A social equity applicant is an applicant that has at least 65% ownership and control held by one or more individuals who lived or went to public school in an area disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of cannabis, or attended a four-year institution of higher education in Maryland where at least 40% of enrollees were eligible for a Pell Grant.
Last week, the Office of Social Equity published the ZIP codes and public schools in Maryland that are within a disproportionately impacted area, and the qualifying four-year institutions of higher education. Detailed information on the qualifying geographic areas, public schools, and institutions of higher education may be found at ose.maryland.gov.
Any applicant who meets the minimum requirements for licensure, on a pass-fail basis, will be placed in a randomized lottery based on license type (grower, processor, or dispensary) and county or region for which the application was submitted. Under the Cannabis Reform Act, the Administration will begin conducting the lottery on or before January 1, 2024.
The following number of licenses will be available by license type and geographic area in the first application round:
Growers, Processors, and Micro Licenses:
For the remaining license types, the State will be divided into four regions, as follows:
- Western Region: Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Montgomery, and Washington.
- Southern Region: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s.
- Central Region: Baltimore, Baltimore City, Cecil, Harford, and Howard.
- Eastern Region: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester.
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Equal numbers of each of the remaining license types will be available, as outlined below.
Additionally, the Administration announced the opening of the Social Equity Verification Portal. The portal instructs individuals on the social equity applicant eligibility requirements and allows them to confirm their eligibility as a social equity applicant before the application period opens on November 13. The portal will be open for a period of 60 days, closing on Tuesday, November 7.
For more information on the application process and how to access the Social Equity Verification Portal, visit cannabis.maryland.gov.
