Key Takeaways:

  • Maryland’s 30-day application period will open at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST), Nov. 13, 2023, and close at 5 PM EST on Dec. 12, 2023. Applications submitted after 5 PM will not be accepted or reviewed by the MCA.
  • The upcoming round of cannabis licensing is limited to Social Equity Applicants and Applicants must verify their status in advance of the licensing round.
  • All qualified applications that meet the minimum qualifications, on a pass/fail basis, will be included in a lottery to determine the recipients of a conditional license.

Maryland Releases Cannabis License Application Details and Instructions

On October 13, the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) released some much-anticipated details regarding the upcoming cannabis licensing round. The MCA provided the minimum qualifications for a cannabis business license application, including guidance on how to develop qualifying operational, business, and diversity plans. The MCA also provided detailed application instructions on the minimum requirements for submitting an application once the OneStop portal has been opened.

PLEASE NOTE: All prospective applicants for the upcoming licensing round MUST complete the verification process as Social Equity Applicants before the Portal closes. Further information about the Social Equity qualifications, including the qualifying geographic areas, public schools, and institutes for higher education, can be found on our website.

License Application Timeline

The timeline for the first licensing round is narrow.

  • The Social Equity Verification Portal is currently open and will close Nov. 7, 2023.
  • Maryland’s OneStop portal will begin accepting applications on Nov. 13, 2023.
  • The deadline to submit an application is Dec. 12, 2023, and applications submitted after 5 PM on Dec. 12 will not be accepted.

Prior to submitting an application in Maryland’s OneStop portal, Applicants should prepare the following documents for submission:

  1. A verification report from the Social Equity Verification Portal, indicating that the Applicant meets the statutory criteria to be deemed a Social Equity Applicant.
  2. An operations plan that uses the MCA-provided template and details the Applicant’s plan for the safe, secure, and effective cultivation, manufacture, or dispensing of cannabis.
  3. A business plan that uses the MCA-provided template and demonstrates a likelihood of success and sufficient ability and experience on the part of the Applicant, and provides for appropriate employee working conditions.
  4. A diversity plan that uses the MCA-provided template that details the Applicant’s approach to ensuring and promoting diversity in their workplace.

All applications that meet the minimum qualifications, on a pass/fail basis, will be included in a lottery to determine the recipients of a conditional license. Applicants should only provide the requested information to meet the minimum criteria because providing additional information will not contribute to the pass-fail evaluation.

HOWEVER, applications that fail to meet the minimum criteria will not be considered. Given the very narrow window for submitting an application, it is possible that there will not be time for Applicants to fix any deficiencies with their applications.

The application lottery for applications that pass will be administered as follows for the various license types:

  • County lotteries for standard dispensaries.
    • Each of Maryland’s 24 counties (including Baltimore City) will have a unique pool of dispensary applications.
    • An Applicant may ONLY apply for a standard dispensary license in one (1) county. If an Applicant (or any individuals or entities associated with that Applicant) applies for a standard dispensary license in multiple counties, all applications associated with that Applicant (and any individuals or entities associated with that Applicant) will be denied.
  • Regional-level lotteries for each of the following license types:
    • Micro Growers
    • Micro Processors
    • Micro Dispensaries
    • Standard Growers
    • Standard Processors

An individual or entity may not be associated with applications submitted for the same license type in more than one county or region. Additionally, an individual or entity may be associated with no more than two applications across all licensing categories within the entire first licensing round. Applying for more than the allowed number of licenses will result in the disqualification of all licenses associated with that individual or entity. CHOOSE WISELY!

If you have any questions about the application process or any other aspect of the Maryland Cannabis regulatory regime, please contact the Foley Hoag team for assistance.

The post Maryland Cannabis Application Details first appeared on Cannabis and the Law.