Maryland marijuana sales reached more than $10 Million during the holiday weekend , as retail sales to adult consumers were launched across the state.
The state’s collective medical and recreational cannabis sales reached $10,429 736 from Friday to Sunday. This is more than twice the $3,985,527 that was sold during the 4th of the July holiday weekend last year.
Maryland has sold a total of $4,518.377 in cannabis on the first day of sales for adult use. The vast majority ($3,558,947) of this amount came from recreational marijuana purchases. The day’s medical cannabis sales totaled $959 430.
Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said this in a video posted on the day of the adult-use marijuana sale. In the past, cannabis policies have been used to imprison and discriminate our fellow citizens and in particular low-income communities and communities with color. It’s high time we admitted the truth. The war on drugs did not just fail; it actually made us weaker.
Maryland has made recreational cannabis legal for adults as of today.
We are writing a brand new chapter in cannabis’s history in America. It will help communities that have been harmed by the criminalization of cannabis and create a more competitive, more equitable economy. pic.twitter.com/UeIWx8w96L
Governor Wes Moore July 1, 2020
He said: “I am proud to say we are writing a new chapter in the history of cannabis in America, one that is focused on economic growth, equity, and a chapter which remembers the historical damage caused by criminalization, and strives not only through words, but also through actions, to right this wrong.”
Nearly 100 medical cannabis dispensaries in the state were granted dual licenses to serve adult customers. MCA also stated that it had collected over $15 million from these facilities in licensing conversion fees, which will be distributed to the community reinvestment fund. The MCA plans to distribute another $45,000,000 from these fees over the next two years.
Moore, , who signed cannabis regulation legislation into law after voters approved a legalization referendum ballot, said: “This is Maryland’s time to be a leader in this new area. Our time to forge new partnership between our government, and our people. It’s our moment to create an economic that is more equitable and competitive. And it’s our moment to do this right, while we are doing right.”
MCA approved 42 growers and manufacturers last week to supply the adult-use market in addition to the 95 dispensaries approved by MCA for medical cannabis sales.
In May, MCA published a first set of rules for the industry, to the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review. This was a crucial step in establishing the industry, which launched on Saturday.
The 41-page document outlines definitions, codifies possession limits for individuals, clarifies the enforcement authorities, and details penalties. It also outlines requirements for packaging and labeling.
The state Department of Commerce began accepting grant applications last month to assist existing medical marijuana businesses in converting into dual licenses that could serve the adult market.
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The ballot measure and the subsequent regulation legislation that was signed by the Governor were partly a result of extensive work done by bipartisan and bicameral legislators who were members of House Cannabis Referendum and Legalization Workgroup , which was created in 2021 and led by Speaker Adrienne Jones .
The members held multiple meetings to inform the future regulations after Maryland voters approved a legalization referendum during last year’s election. This triggered implementation of complementary legislation which covered rules for basic polices like possession and low level home cultivation.
Some parts of the referendum came into effect at the start of this year. Possession of up 1.5 ounces cannabis is now a civil offence punishable with a $100 fine. For more than 1.5 and up to 2.5, the fine increases to $250.
Maryland lawmakers began advancing adult-use legalization in 2021, but there were no votes. In 2021, the Senate Finance Committee heard a bill on legalization. This was followed by a House Judiciary Committee on a cannabis proposal.
Maryland legalized medical marijuana in 2012 through a law passed by the Maryland legislature. In 2012, Maryland legalized medical cannabis through an act of the legislature.
A separate law took effect Saturday which prohibits police officers from searching based solely on the smell or possession of marijuana. Another law coming into effect prevents state officials from interpreting the responsible and lawful use of cannabis by parents or guardians as “neglect.”
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