What Legal Cannabis May Look Like for Patients and Marijuana Users in Maryland
On November 8th, 2022, Maryland passed a new law legalizing recreational cannabis use for adults 21 and older, opening up a whole new industry for the state. Effective July of 2023, the new legislation aims to regulate medical and recreational cannabis as similarly as possible, holding them to the same standards. Here is a closer look at what legal cannabis may look like for patients and marijuana users in the state of Maryland. Please note, the specifics of the program is still being drafted and we will continue to update you as more news come in. For now, here is what we know:
Similar Standards for Medical and Recreational Cannabis
One of the main goals of Maryland's new legislation is to regulate medical and recreational cannabis as similarly as possible. This means that both types of cannabis will be held to the same standards when it comes to growing and testing. Additionally, everything will be tracked from seed to sale as it is now, ensuring that consumers can have confidence in the quality and safety of the product they are buying.
State-Owned Labs
Dispensaries in Maryland will no longer be allowed to use third-party labs for testing. Instead, all marijuana products will be tested at a state-owned lab, ensuring consistent quality and safety standards across the board. This applies to both medical and adult-use cannabis.
Growing Limits for Medical Patients
Medical patients will be allowed to grow up to four plants, with no more than four plants allowed per household, regardless of how many patients are in the household.
Existing Medical Licenses Convert to Adult-Use Licenses
All existing medical cannabis licenses will convert to adult-use licenses under the new law, although there may be a fee involved in the conversion. This means that dispensaries, like Peninsula Alternative Health, that were previously only serving medical patients can now serve adult-use customers as well.
Priority for Medical Patients
Once dispensaries begin serving both medical and adult-use customers, they will be allowed to set aside products and business hours just for medical patients. This ensures that medical patients can continue to get the products they need, even if demand from adult-use customers is high.
Academic Researcher Access
Academic researchers will be allowed to register with the state in order to make purchases from dispensaries for research purposes. This will allow researchers to study the effects of cannabis more closely and help to further the understanding of this complex plant.
In conclusion, Maryland's new law legalizing recreational cannabis use opens up a whole new industry for the state. By regulating medical and recreational cannabis similarly, with consistent quality and safety standards, the state aims to ensure that consumers can have confidence in the products they are buying. From growing limits for medical patients to dispensary license limits and priority for medical patients, the new law is designed to provide a smooth transition to a legal cannabis industry in the state of Maryland.
What things may look like for PAH
Our mission and number one priority has always been to provide the highest quality alternative medicine, the knowledge to use it effectively all while in a professional, safe and trusting environment. With adult-use right around the corner, we are keeping that mission statement at the forefront of our minds.
With a new paradigm in the Maryland cannabis marketing being on the horizon, we will do our best to plan for what we expect but please know and understand that there are and will remain to be some unknowns. For example, how will we handle the increase flux of patrons? How will we ensure that our medical patients don’t lose out on the experience they have grown to know and love? We can plan for these as best as possible, however, as many times have proven in the past, we will likely change course as we get closer to this critical time.
Now is a great time to announce a future expansion of our sales floor, waiting room, and glass shop Mellow Mood. While the date of completion is still to be determined we do know the following is certain:
We will have increased registers
We will have specific hours for medical patients only
We will have a guaranteed adequate stock of assorted medicine for our medical patients
We ensure our patients and soon to be guests will have a swift, informative, and effective visit
Things have never stayed the same here for that long. If you have been a patient of ours since the beginning, you know how much this program as well as our location has changed and evolved over the years. While that may be so, we have always stepped up happily with any new direction the wind has come because at the end of the day we love what we do, what we stand for, and who we serve!
Stay tune for more updates!
