Requirements for Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in Maryland 

Having a proper infrastructure put in place for those who need to use marijuana for medicinal purposes is a way of ensuring that those who are ill, are not penalized for their illness. Dispensaries are a way of regulating the sale of medical marijuana and ensuring that patients are receiving a safe, quality product. However, it is impossible for a dispensary to do this without first meeting the requirements for medical marijuana dispensaries in Maryland.

If you want to know more about these requirements, get in touch with a capable Maryland lawyer who can answer any questions you may have.

Necessity of a License for Maryland Dispensaries

One of the requirements for medical marijuana dispensaries in Maryland is that they are must be licensed under the Maryland cannabis laws. In order to be a licensed dispensary, a dispensary needs to submit an application through the Medical Marijuana Commission that must include a variety of information and documentation, including:

  • An application fee
  • The legal name and address of the dispensary
  • The name, address, and date of birth of each principle officer or director for the dispensary
  • The operating procedures that the dispensary will use for storage and security of the medical cannabis or medical marijuana
  • A plan for how the dispensary will ensure compliance with Maryland’s medical marijuana or medical cannabis regulations

After its initial licensure, a dispensary’s license is valid for four years. After four years, the dispensary will need to re-apply with the commission. After the dispensary reapplies with the commission, that license is valid for another two years before the dispensary will have to reapply again, and so on and so forth.

Lab Testing of Medical Marijuana

Another one of the requirements for medical marijuana dispensaries in Maryland’s is that medical marijuana or medical cannabis sold to patients must be tested by qualified independent testing laboratories that are licensed through the State of Maryland for this purpose. These qualified independent testing laboratories (ITLs) are facilities that perform tasks related to the medical marijuana or medical cannabis product sold through Maryland’s medical marijuana program. These laboratories are licensed by the state to perform these tests.

Further Documentation Needed to Run a Dispensary

There are other requirements for operating a medical marijuana or medical cannabis dispensary in the State of Maryland. One requirement is that medical marijuana or medical cannabis dispensaries must submit a quarterly report with the Maryland Medical Marijuana Commission.

This report must include the number of patients served, the county of residence of each patient served, the medical conditions for which medical cannabis is recommended, the type and amount of medical cannabis or medical marijuana dispensed and a summary of clinical outcomes if that information is available to the dispensary.

Necessity of a License in Order to Process Marijuana

Processors are also required to be licensed under the State of Maryland medical marijuana or medical cannabis laws. This is a different license from the license required to be a medical cannabis dispensary. In order to be a licensed medical marijuana or medical cannabis processor, an entity must submit a medical cannabis or medical marijuana application that will be processed through the Medical Marijuana Commission. The application must include a variety of information and documentation, including:

  • An application fee
  • The legal name and address of the processor, the name, address, and date of birth of each principal officer or director for a processor
  • The operating procedures that the processor plans to use for storage and security of the medical cannabis or medical marijuana
  • A plan as to how the medical marijuana or medical cannabis processor plans to comply with Maryland’s medical marijuana or medical cannabis regulations

After a medical marijuana or medical cannabis processor’s initial licensure, the processor’s license is valid for four years. After four years, the processor must reapply with the commission. Each subsequent re-application license is valid for another two years before the medical marijuana or medical cannabis processor has to go through the renewal-application process again. If you wish to know more, get in touch with a skilled lawyer who can explain the requirements for medical marijuana dispensaries in Maryland.