MD: Medical Marijuana Commission Approves Three Growers And Two Processors

Ron Strider;3611844 said:

Maryland's medical marijuana commission approved full licenses for three growers and two processors Monday.

The Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Cannabis Commission pre-approved 15 growers and processors last year, and gave the companies a year to complete the licensing process, which included getting full background and financial checks and state inspections.

After Monday's votes by the commission, six of the 15 pre-approved processors and nine growers have been granted full licenses. The commission also approved the registration for one independent laboratory.

The commission has also approved 102 dispensaries to distribute medical marijuana.

The processors had a Monday deadline to complete the process. Six of the 15 growers missed an Aug. 14 deadline to complete the process for getting their operations up and running. Patrick Jameson, executive director of the commission, previously said regulators could decide to extend the deadline for growers.

The commission's process has been full of delays and controversy, leading Gov. Larry Hogan to overhaul the commission in July. The commission has received criticism from legislators and minority-owned applicants because of a lack of diversity among the licensees.

Commissioners heard comments from the public about the possibility of pre-approving 15 additional processors at its next meeting.

Some of the company executives who testified at the meeting in Bel Air said the commission should not approve more processors until the industry has gotten its feet off the ground.

By 2018, they said, the commission will have received reports from each company about how they are doing and will be able to determine if there is a need for more processors. They also said they made business decisions under the assumption that there would only be 15 processors at the outset.

Those who testified in support of more approvals said their initial business plans assumed there would be more than 15 processors and that the commission should not restrict competition.

News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
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