Harford County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2024

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Harford County?

Yes. Maryland legalized adult use and possession of marijuana in 2022. More than half (67%) of the state's voters supported this constitutional amendment. In Harford County, 61% of voters supported Maryland Question 4.

Cultivation licenses and identification cards are issued by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) to growers who want to cultivate cannabis plants in a regulated facility. The business can then sell its cannabis products to licensed dispensaries and processors. Maryland does not specify the minimum or maximum amount of cannabis plants that a grower may plant or cultivate.

For home cultivation, adults over the age of 21 are permitted to legally grow up to two cannabis plants in their residences, out of sight of the general public. Regardless of the number of individuals living there, a household is only permitted to grow a maximum of two plants. All growers in the State will be subject to inspection.

Furthermore, House Bill 837 states the following rules for cultivation:

• Cannabis plants may not be cultivated in an area where they are subject to public view, including a view from another private property, without the use of aircraft, binoculars, or other optical aid.

• Cultivating marijuana must occur in an enclosed, locked area or indoor area that only adults over the age of 21 can access.

• Cannabis cultivators are required to take reasonable precautions to protect their plants from unauthorized access and access by those under the age of 21.

• Cannabis cultivation is only allowed on legally owned property that belongs to the cultivator or with permission from the owner of the property.

• No one under the age of 21 may cultivate cannabis plants.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Harford County?

Yes. The MMCC announced 15 pre-approved processors, surpassing the licensing's Stage One requirement. As of December 2022, no official licenses for cannabis processors have been given out. The Commissioners have yet to deliberate and establish standard permit requirements.

Under the Maryland Medical Cannabis Statutory Provisions, a processor is an entity that converts cannabis into an extract or another product before packaging and labeling them. Cannabis flowers, shakes, buds, or trimmings are purchased from growers by processors, who then turn them into cannabis tinctures, oils, sublingual sprays, capsules, creams, waxes, and patches, among others. Following that, these companies sell to dispensaries.

To distribute their goods, processors will enter into contracts with dispensaries. They must adhere to the inventory controls outlined in the proposed regulations and in the processors' and dispensaries' standard operating procedures.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Harford County?

Yes. People who are 21 years old will be able to legally buy and use cannabis products starting July 1, 2023. The State of Maryland has not yet established a framework for regulating the sales of recreational marijuana after the recent legalization of non-medical cannabis. The General Assembly will update the date on which residents can purchase the products on the market.

The maximum amount of non-medical cannabis for personal use allowed by law is 12 grams of concentrated cannabis, 1.5 ounces of cannabis flowers, or a combination of cannabis products with a maximum THC content of 750 mg. Cannabis edibles are available for purchase by customers.

The sale of medical marijuana to patients and caregivers through licensed cannabis dispensaries in the form of dried flowers, processed forms, or other devices is allowed. Every dispensary shall have a clinical director on duty to provide patient and caregiver education regarding the various medical cannabis treatments for specific diseases, drug-to-drug interactions, and potential adverse effects. This clinical director shall be accessible for consultations, queries, or communications in person or electronically.

Registered Medical Marijuana Program patients may have up to 120 grams of usable cannabis, mainly dried flower, in each 30-day supply. Because the marijuana concentration of medical cannabis-infused products is not the same as that of dried flower cannabis, the MMCC set a restriction of 36 grams of THC per 30-day supply.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Harford County?

Yes. Employees of a dispensary may transport and deliver medical cannabis to patients and caregivers who are MMCC ID holders. However, the State of Maryland has not explicitly declared whether or not the delivery of non-medical cannabis products is allowed.

Transporting cannabis products over state lines is prohibited.

How to Get Medical Marijuana Card in Harford County

In December 2017, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Program went into effect. Since then, the MMCC has experienced enormous development in terms of the number of patients, medical cannabis sales, and the granting of grower, processor, and dispensary licenses.

The MMCC emphasizes that only the Commission issues patient and caregiver ID cards. Maryland requires the following steps to obtain a medical marijuana ID card:

1. Register as an adult patient online. Your application will be approved by MMCC, and you will then be given an ID number that MMCC issues.

2. Obtain a valid written certification from an MMCC-registered provider. The applicant must remain to have a bonafide patient-provider relationship with the doctor. The doctor reviews the patient's medical history, does a medical history evaluation, and certifies that the patient's condition qualifies for medical cannabis treatment.

3. After the MMCC accepts your application and you get the doctor's written certification, log in to the Maryland OneStop Portal to obtain your certified patient ID card.

The MMCC identifies the qualifying conditions for which a doctor may provide a certification allowing the patient to get medical cannabis:

• A chronic or debilitating condition that causes:

  • Severe nausea

  • Anorexia

  • Cachexia

  • Severe or persistent muscle spasms

  • Seizures

  • Glaucoma

  • Severe or chronic pain

  • Wasting syndrome or cachexia

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Other serious chronic medical conditions that have failed to respond to other treatments.

For concerns, you may contact:

PATIENT AND CAREGIVER SUPPORT

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

Email: mdh.infoandregistration@maryland.go

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Harford County?

The MMCC stated that marijuana dispensaries in Maryland had monthly sales of approximately $45 million on average in 2021. In the following year, the Committee reported a monthly average of over $43 million in dispensary sales during the first three quarters.

Sales tax is not applied to medical marijuana. Unless the legislature amends the law and exempts a product, medicines (including medical cannabis) are not subject to the Maryland sales and use tax. Regarding non-medical marijuana, the recent constitutional amendment that made adult use and possession legal has yet to empower legislators to adopt regulations for its taxation.

The MMCC did a case study on the Implementation and Potential Tax Revenue in Maryland due to the recent legalization of cannabis. In determining the possible economic effects of legalizing marijuana for adult use, it set out to assess the market.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Harford County

The 2020 Uniform Crime Report, published by the Maryland Department of State Police, includes arrests for marijuana manufacturing, sales, and possession.

Marijuana-related arrests in Harford County decreased from 34 to 26 between 2019 and 2020. During the same period, the number of marijuana possession arrests fell from 536 to 403 cases.

Meanwhile, DWI (driving while intoxicated) cases in Harford County decreased from 643 to 441 arrests in 2019 and 2020, respectively.