Cecil County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Cecil County?

It is legal to cultivate cannabis for medical and adult use in Cecil County. The State of Maryland's Medical Cannabis Law created the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) in 2014. Subsequently, the Cannabis Reform Act legalized adult-use cannabis by persons who are 21 years old and above beginning July 1, 2023. The MMCC was renamed the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA).

According to MMMC statistics, Cecil County had [one medical cannabis grower](https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Documents/2022PDFFiles/Industry Directory/growerslistupdated9.2022.pdf) license holder as of September 2022. Medical cannabis grower licensees were required by the MCA to apply for license conversion to a medical and adult-use cannabis micro-grower license or a medical and adult-use cannabis grower license by July 1, 2023, or else cease operations by that date. Each of the two new licensing categories has a five-year validity period.

Under the Cannabis Reform Act, the MCA will issue just 75 medical and adult-use cannabis grower licenses and 100 medical and adult-use cannabis micro-grower licenses throughout the state. Conversions are already included in that cap.

The maximum crop canopy size permitted for cultivation by a medical and adult-use cannabis grower license holder is 300,000 square feet. Holders of medical and recreational cannabis micro-grower licenses are limited to growing their crops in areas no greater than 10,000 square feet. Both are only allowed to cultivate their cannabis crops indoors.

Home cultivation of cannabis for personal use is also legal in Cecil County for people aged 21 and above. They can cultivate a maximum of four cannabis plants at home if they have a medical cannabis card. Otherwise, age-qualified adults can only cultivate a maximum of two cannabis plants in a single residence. This is the cap even for homes with several age-qualified residents.

If the grower is not the homeowner, the property owner's written permission is required. Cannabis must be cultivated in a closed environment that bars children and is hidden from the public's sight.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Cecil County?

It is legal to manufacture medical and adult-use cannabis products in Cecil County under the Medical Cannabis Law and Cannabis Reform Act, respectively, of the State of Maryland.

There was just one medical cannabis manufacturer license holder in Cecil County, according to earlier MMMC statistics. In order to continue operating beyond July 1, 2023, the MCA mandated that medical cannabis manufacturer licensees apply for conversion to a medical and adult-use cannabis processor license or a medical and adult-use cannabis microprocessor license prior to that date. The validity period for the two new license categories is five years each.

There will be a cap of 100 medical and adult-use cannabis processor licenses and 100 medical and adult-use cannabis micro-processor licenses that the MCA will issue, including conversions, for the whole state.

A medical and adult-use cannabis processor license holder may process more than 1,000 pounds of cannabis into cannabis products yearly. A medical and adult-use cannabis micro-processor license holder is limited to producing cannabis products from not more than 1,000 pounds of cannabis annually.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Cecil County?

It is legal to sell medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products by retail in Cecil County in accordance with the State of Maryland's Medical Cannabis Law and Cannabis Reform Act. Medical cannabis and its products may only be sold to medical cannabis cardholders, while adult-use cannabis and its products may only be sold to persons who are 21 years old and above.

The MCA mandated that medical cannabis dispensary licensees submit an application for conversion to a medical and adult-use cannabis micro-dispensary license or a medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary license by July 1, 2023, or else shut down their operations on that date. The two new licensing categories likewise have a five-year validity period.

The MCA will issue only 300 medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses and 200 medical and adult-use cannabis micro-dispensary licenses in the state, including conversions. According to MCA data, there was no licensed cannabis dispensary in Cecil County as of August 2023.

A licensee for a medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary can set up a physical storefront to sell and deliver medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products to qualifying purchasers. A medical and adult-use cannabis micro-dispensary license holder, on the other hand, may not have a physical shop and is only authorized to sell retail medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products via delivery to eligible buyers. It is not allowed to employ more than 10 people.

All newly licensed medical and adult-use cannabis dispensaries and micro-dispensaries, excluding converted licensed dispensary facilities that were in existence prior to July 1, 2023, must be separated from playgrounds, childcare facilities, schools, and parks by at least 500 feet, and from other licensed dispensaries by at least 1,000 feet.

A 30-day [purchase limit](https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Documents/Rules for Purchasing Limits.pdf) from a licensed medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary or micro-dispensary is imposed on each medical cannabis cardholder. This consists of 120 grams of dried cannabis flowers or 36 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in medical cannabis products.

Consumers aged 21 and above may purchase at each transaction the equivalent of the state’s adult-use cannabis allowable personal use limit. This consists of the following:

• Cannabis concentrate: 12 grams
• Dried cannabis flowers: 1.5 ounces
• Cannabis products: 750 milligrams total THC content

To establish age and identity, consumers must provide a current government-issued picture ID to the licensed medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary or micro-dispensary.

Dried flowers, edible products, waxes, suppositories, oils, dermal patches, concentrates, capsules, tinctures, and topical formulations are the types of medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products that licensed dispensaries and micro-dispensaries are authorized to sell by retail.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Cecil County?

As stipulated by the Cannabis Reform Act of the State of Maryland, it is legal for licensed dispensaries and micro-dispensaries in Cecil County to deliver medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products. Deliveries of medical cannabis and its products can only be made to medical cannabis cardholders, while deliveries of adult-use cannabis and its products can only be made to persons who are 21 years old and above.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Cecil County

To acquire a medical cannabis card, Cecil County residents are required to open an MCA registry account on the OneStop Portal of the State of Maryland. This will provide them with a patient ID number. They must then be examined by an MCA-registered physician. There were six in Cecil County as of August 2023.

The physician will check if the patient has any of the following ailments that qualify for medical cannabis treatment:

• Any severe chronic illness for which other treatments have been ineffective
• Cachexia
• Severe nausea
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Seizures
• Anorexia
• Severe or chronic pain
• Glaucoma
• Severe or persistent muscle spasms
• Wasting syndrome

If the patient is qualified, the written certification will be submitted by the doctor to the MCA registry using the patient's identifying number. The patient can then get the medical cannabis card from the registry after paying $25. Patients who can present official documents indicating that they are beneficiaries of the Maryland Veterans Affairs Health Care System or Maryland Medical Assistance Program are excused from paying the fee.

For patients below 18, at least one caregiver must be a parent or legal guardian. There can be a maximum of four caregivers registered, including the parent and legal guardian. Caregivers of child patients and caregivers of adult patients must all register with the MCA.

On weekdays beginning at 10 a.m., the MCA accepts walk-in inquiries up to 2 p.m. at this location:

Maryland Cannabis Administration

849 International Drive Suite 450,

Linthicum, MD 21090

Phone: 410-487-8100 or 1-844-421-2571

Email: mdh.infoandregistration@maryland.gov

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Cecil County?

The Maryland Cannabis Reform Act imposes a sales and use tax of 9% on retail sales of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products in the State of Maryland. This tax does not apply to sales between adult-use cannabis license holders, as well as sales of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products.

From its cannabis revenues, the state allocates 5% to counties with licensed adult-use cannabis establishments, according to each county's percentage of contribution. In turn, the county must allocate its portion among municipalities with licensed adult-use cannabis establishments, based on each municipality's contribution.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Cecil County

Medical cannabis was legalized in the State of Maryland, including Cecil County, in 2014, and adult-use cannabis was legalized in 2023.

Data on the FBI Crime Explorer page shows that in 2013, a year before the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 15,620 marijuana possession arrests and 1,378 marijuana sales arrests, totaling 16,998 marijuana offense arrests in the state.

In 2015, a year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 11,764 marijuana possession arrests and 1,917 marijuana sales arrests, totaling 13,681 marijuana offense arrests across the state.

In 2018, a year after the legalization of adult-use cannabis, there were 16,388 marijuana possession arrests and 2,241 marijuana sales arrests, totaling 18,629 marijuana offense arrests throughout the state.

In 2021, the latest data showed 1,088 marijuana possession arrests and 269 marijuana sales arrests, totaling 1,357 marijuana offense arrests statewide.

The number of DUI arrests in the state during those years was as follows:

• 2013: 14,848 arrests
• 2015: 17,525 arrests
• 2018: 18,443 arrests
• 2021: 3,312 arrests