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Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced that total medical and adult-use retail sales surpassed $1.1 billion in the first 12 months following legalization. According to the Maryland Cannabis Administration, monthly retail sales surpassed $95 million in June, with the adult-use market accounting for more than $67 million in sales. Since cannabis was legalized for adult consumers on July 1, 2023, adult-use sales totaled more than $700 million and medical sales totaled nearly $400 million.
Agency and industry highlights for the past year include:
- Administering the first cannabis business licensing round in the nation that was reserved exclusively for social equity applicants.
- Of the 205 selected applicants, 53.7% self-reported majority black or African American ownership, and 76.2% self-reported majority minority ownership; these businesses will more than double the number of licensed cannabis businesses operating in the state.
- Establishing a first-in-the-nation state cannabis reference laboratory dedicated to cannabis oversight and managed by a state cannabis regulatory agency.
- Collecting more than $40 million in fees from licensed cannabis businesses to support the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, which provides funding directly to local jurisdictions to support community-based initiatives that benefit low-income communities and communities that were disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization.
- In partnership with the Maryland Department of Labor, establishing a first-in-the-nation Cannabis Workforce Development Program, which will prioritize training individuals with a history of cannabis-related offenses.
- In collaboration with the Maryland Department of Health, launching a comprehensive public health and safety campaign, “BeCannabisSmart,” which promotes safe and responsible cannabis use and educates the public on important topics such as the dangers of drugged driving, smoke-free spaces, and safe storage of cannabis products.
- Launching a “Medical and Adult-Use Data Dashboard,” which provides public access to key program and industry metrics.
- Growing the Maryland Cannabis Administration from approximately 50 staff members to more than 100 to meet the additional responsibilities of an expanded medical and adult-use industry.
- Establishing the Office of Social Equity, an independent executive agency that serves to promote economic opportunity and equity in Maryland’s adult-use cannabis market.
- Hosting technical assistance sessions for more than 1,400 registered participants; financial forecasting sessions for more than 600 registered participants; and application writing clinics for more than 700 registered participants to support aspiring cannabis business applicants.
- Obtaining more than 1,250 responses on the potential uses of the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, 74% of which expressed strong support for the reinvestment of cannabis tax revenue into communities disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs.
