During the 2023 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly passed twin bills (HB 556/ SB 516) that implement an adult use cannabis market in Maryland. The bills have been signed by Governor Wes Moore, on Wed. May 3rd, 2023. Existing medical dispensaries will be able to serve adult use consumers beginning July 1, 2023.
When will Adult Use cannabis sales start?
Where will Adult Use cannabis be available for sale?
How will cannabis sales be taxed?
Does a customer need to be a Maryland resident to purchase Adult Use cannabis?
A customer does not need to be a Maryland resident but must provide identification that they are over the age of 21.
Will medical patients be prioritized at dispensaries?
Dispensaries will have processes in place to prioritize patients which may include dedicated store hours and/or priority in lines.
What are the allotments for Adult Use vs. medical in a 30-day period?
Will there be any potency or dosage limits for adult use?
Edibles are limited to 10mg doses/100mg per package. Higher potency edibles and all concentrates (RSO, dabs, etc) will only be available to medical patients.
Medical Cannabis vs. Adult-Use Cannabis
Maryland’s adult-use program starts on July 1, but if you’re a medical patient, or want to be, you should hold onto your medical card, get it renewed, or apply for one.
So if cannabis will be recreational, how does having a medical card benefit you? Check out our top 5 reasons:
Save Money on Taxes
Unlike recreational cannabis which will carry a sales tax of 9%, medical cannabis will continue to be untaxed. Keep more money in your pocket and get more of the products you love.
Get Medical Patient Priority
Time is money, and waiting in line to get your cannabis medicine isn’t fun. Cannabis dispensaries with a medical license will prioritizing Maryland’s medical cannabis patients, so you may be to skip to the front of the line, or have special shopping hours.
Get More Products
Do you like high dose edibles & higher potency products? You may need to a medical care to keep getting those products, plus the 30-day allotment for medical patients are higher.
Keep Your Card For Longer
Medical cards used to only last 3 years. Thanks to recent changes to the program, medical cards are now valid for 6 years!
Spend Less to Apply
Applying for and/or renewing your medical cannabis card used to be costly, but it’s only $25 now.
We will be continuously updating this page to keep you up-to-date, but you can find more information at https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Pages/Legalization-of-Non-Medical-Cannabis.aspx.
