Medical Cannabis Arrives in Maryland

After years of preparation, the first medical cannabis dispensary in Maryland opened for business.

All across the country, states are recognizing cannabis as a viable form of medicine and adjusting their laws accordingly. The state of Maryland is the most recent to add its name to the lists of states approving medical cannabis, and legal sales officially began on Friday, December 1.

In August, the city of Baltimore held a public meeting to address and inform its residents about the upcoming dispensary operations. Topics included zoning, impact and potential influence on the community. Yet Maryland’s politicians have been hammering out the details of legal cannabis consumption since 2013 when they first passed their medical cannabis law. However, any movement forward became stagnate due to the law requiring medical centers to run the programs. Many of those centers were hesitate in stepping up for the occasion and as a result, lawmakers went back to the drawing board to fix and perfect the law.

Four years later, patients across Maryland happily welcomed medical cannabis as the first operating dispensaries opened for business. Many eagerly gathered in line waiting for doors to open. One man, David Johnson, shared with The Washington Post his struggle with treating pain caused by nerve damage stating, “I’m looking forward to no pain, no stress.”

ABC News reported that nurse practitioners, doctors, dentists, podiatrists and even midwives are all approved to recommend cannabis to their patients.

Currently, prices run a little higher than normal compared to states such a California and Colorado. However, owners do expect the prices to decrease and eventually be set at a competitive level in a few months. Right now demand is high and supply is low, also limiting the amount of customers to those who are pre-registered. Not to mention, there are many growers who do not yet deliver, according to The Washington Post. As the cannabis community in Maryland works out the kinks, patients can soon expect a booming operation where their personal needs can finally be met.