After almost 2 ½ years of delays, Maryland’s medical marijuana system is finally getting off the ground. For the past month, investors and entrepreneurs have been meeting with the government officials across the state, and the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission expecting to approve 15 licenses to produce medical cannabis by late 2015 or early 2016.
Maryland’s General Assembly approved the sale and use of cannabis for medical purposes in 2013, but its rules were initially so strict that no companies would participate. Two rounds of revisions later, once in 2014 and again in 2015, investors are now pouring in.
While the state only plans to issue 15 licenses to begin with, they expect more than 60 companies to apply. In fact, cannabis entrepreneurs from other states that have already legalized medical marijuana are trying to get in on the action as well, stocking their ranks with Maryland residents to increase their chances of receiving a license. If all goes according to plan, the first legal cannabis in Maryland should be available for purchase by the end of 2016.