Read an interesting article about the Maryland marijuana
dispensaries. Seems that it is now legal to grow the marijuana for medicinal
resale, but remains Illegal to buy seeds or seedlings to start the growing
process.
Maryland passed a law in 2014 decriminalizing smaller
amounts of marijuana and allowing for dispensaries to grow and dispense
medicinal marijuana. In December 2016 the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission
approved 102 dispensaries that have been granted a license to begin growing
marijuana. They have 365 days to begin their operations. The problem for these
newly licensed businesses is-How do you start a business based on growing an
organic product when it is illegal to buy or import the seeds or seedlings?
Once the grow operations have their crop started that crop
and further crops are legal under the law. However, obtaining the startup seeds is illegal under federal
and Maryland law, as well as some other states that have approved medical
and/or decriminalized marijuana. In Washington, D.C. for example, it is legal
to possess and grow marijuana at home but illegal to buy or sell seeds and
plants. Mostly state regulators and law enforcement are turning their heads
when it comes to the topic. A don’t ask don’t tell sort of thing.
With all the politics that went into decriminalizing
marijuana in Maryland and setting up the laws to allow for dispensaries it
seems like someone would have taken this conundrum into consideration. Now that
the licenses have been granted and the dispensaries are on the clock it will be
interesting to see if this legislative session takes up the issue and corrects
the legal blockade.
See our blog archive for other posts relating to medical marijuana:
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