Maryland's 2023 cannabis license application period opens to qualified candidates

BALTIMORE -- The Office of Special Equity has released eligibility criteria for cannabis licenses.

Social equity applicants for the upcoming Fall 2023 Cannabis License Application Period need to meet certain criteria in order to obtain a cannabis license, according to state officials. 

• These applicants must have lived in a disproportionately impacted area for at least five of the last 10 years immediately preceding the submission of the application.
• Applicants must be at least 65% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who meet at least one of the following criteria:  

• That person must have attended a public school in a disproportionately impacted area for at least five years.
• Lastly, they must have attended for two years a four-year institution of higher education in Maryland where at least 40% of the individuals who attended the institution of higher education received a Pell Grant.

"As the only state in the country to exclusively reserve the first round of new cannabis licenses to social equity applicants, Maryland continues to lead the nation in promoting access and equity in the adult-use cannabis market," Gov. Wes Moore said. "Leaving no one behind means ensuring that communities that have borne the brunt of misguided policies have an equal shot at benefitting from this lucrative industry."  

In:
• Marijuana
• Cannabis
• Weed Legalization in Maryland