At Outreach Health and Wellness in Bowie, Maryland, our holistic practitioners have seen the incredible benefits of medical cannabis. It’s an excellent alternative for treating chronic pain and many other ailments.
While patients currently can only obtain medical cannabis from licensed dispensaries, home growing may be allowed in the future. If you’re interested in growing medical cannabis in Maryland, we’re sharing the top 5 tips that you should know now.
Currently, cannabis is not yet legal in Maryland, but possession is decriminalized. That said, the laws governing medical marijuana are rapidly shifting. If you intend to cultivate cannabis, it’s important to read and fully understand the state regulations that may affect you.
The most current regulations can be found on the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission’s website here.
Cultivating cannabis for your own personal use is not legal in Maryland, even if you have a state-issued medical marijuana card. In order to legally grow cannabis in the state, you’ll need to get properly licensed.
So far, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission has pre-approved 15 cannabis growers who submitted their applications during phase one of the state’s licensing program. Be sure to monitor the Commission’s website for updates about when new applications will be allowed.
If you plan to apply for a grower’s permit once the state re-opens their licensing program, you should be aware of the fees involved. The state has established the following fee schedule:
In addition to the fees for the application itself, there are other miscellaneous fees that you may need to eventually pay:
Those planning on growing medical cannabis in Maryland will need to comply with local zoning requirements. For instance, most medical marijuana dispensaries must not be located close to schools, and they cannot be within 2,500 feet from another dispensary. Similar rules may affect the location of where you plan to cultivate cannabis.
When you apply for a grower’s license, you’ll have to submit evidence of proper compliance during stage two of the licensing process. The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commision will defer to the zoning approval issued by your local jurisdiction.
If you’re curious about growing medical cannabis in Maryland for personal use, consider getting a medical marijuana card instead. Obtaining a license to legally grow cannabis in Maryland is a long, expensive process.
As mentioned above, possession of cannabis is decriminalized, but here’s where things can get tricky when it comes to growing. Possession is not a crime only if you have less than 10 grams of cannabis. However, just one plant can produce 40 grams, which could easily make possession a crime if you're cultivating plants.
While the state’s medical marijuana program does not allow for home growing, you can still harness the benefits of cannabis. Just follow these steps:
To learn more, contact us today at 410-429-8690. We’d be happy to help you obtain a Maryland medical cannabis card.
