St. Mary's County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in St. Mary's County?

The licensed cultivation of cannabis for medical and adult use in St. Mary's County is legal. In 2014, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) was created by the Medical Cannabis Law of the State of Maryland. Effective July 1, 2023, adult-use cannabis by individuals aged 21 and older was legalized in the state by the Cannabis Reform Act. The MMCC was then transformed into the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA).

According to previous data from the MMMC, there was one medical cannabis grower licensee in St. Mary's County as of September 2022. The MCA required medical cannabis grower licensees to apply before July 1, 2023 for license conversion to a medical and adult-use cannabis micro-grower license or a medical and adult-use cannabis grower license, or else stop their operations by then. The two new license types each have a five-year validity term.

Only 100 medical and adult-use cannabis micro-grower licenses and 75 medical and adult-use cannabis grower licenses will be given out across the state by the MCA, in accordance with the Cannabis Reform Act. This already includes the conversions.

A medical and adult-use cannabis grower licensee is only allowed to cultivate a crop canopy no larger than 300,000 square feet. A medical and adult-use cannabis micro-grower license holder is only permitted to grow a crop canopy no larger than 10,000 square feet. Both are required to cultivate cannabis indoors.

For those who are at least 21 years old, home growing of cannabis solely for personal use is also permitted in St. Mary's County. If they are medical cannabis cardholders, they are permitted to grow up to four cannabis plants at home. If not, they can grow only a maximum of two cannabis plants in one home. This is true even if several age-qualified adults dwell in the same home. Growers must either be homeowners or have the owner's permission in writing. Cannabis must be grown in an enclosed area that is secured to keep children out and concealed from public view.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in St. Mary's County?

The licensed manufacturing of medical and adult-use cannabis products in St. Mary's County is legal as mandated by the State of Maryland’s Medical Cannabis Law and Cannabis Reform Act.

According to previous MMMC data, there was [no medical cannabis manufacturer licensee](https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Documents/2023 PDFFiles/Industry Directory/processorlicenseelists.pdf) in St. Mary's County. The MCA required medical cannabis manufacturer licensees to apply for license conversion to a medical and adult-use cannabis micro-processor license or a medical and adult-use cannabis processor license before July 1, 2023, or else cease operations on that date. The two new license types also have a five-year term of validity.

The MCA will only grant 100 licenses across the state for medical and adult-use cannabis processors and 100 licenses for medical and adult-use cannabis micro-processors, including conversions.

More than 1,000 pounds of cannabis can be processed annually into manufactured cannabis goods by the holder of a medical and adult-use cannabis processor license. A medical and adult-use cannabis micro-processor license holder is restricted to converting a maximum of 1,000 pounds of cannabis each year into manufactured cannabis goods.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in St. Mary's County?

The licensed retail selling of medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products in St. Mary's County is legal as stipulated by the Medical Cannabis Law and Cannabis Reform Act of the State of Maryland. Only medical cannabis cardholders are qualified to purchase medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, while only individuals aged 21 and older are qualified to purchase adult-use cannabis and its products from licensed retailers.

The MCA required medical cannabis dispensary licensees to apply before July 1, 2023 for license conversion to a medical and adult-use cannabis micro-dispensary license or a medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary license, or else close their business by that date. The two new license types are also valid for five years. The MCA will only grant 200 medical and adult-use cannabis micro-dispensary licenses and 300 medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses statewide, inclusive of conversions. MCA data shows that there is currently one licensed cannabis dispensary located in Mechanicsville in St. Mary's County.

A medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary licensee is allowed to operate a physical shop where medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products are sold and delivered to eligible customers. On the other hand, a medical and adult-use cannabis micro-dispensary license holder is only permitted to sell retail medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products by delivery to qualifying customers and can have not more than 10 employees.

Not including converted licensed dispensary facilities that existed before July 1, 2023, all newly licensed medical and adult-use cannabis dispensaries and micro-dispensaries must be at a distance of at least 500 feet from playgrounds, schools, childcare facilities, and parks, and at least 1,000 feet away from other licensed dispensaries.

Every medical cannabis cardholder has a 30-day purchase cap from a licensed medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary or micro-dispensary, which is equal to 36 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in medical cannabis products or 120 grams of dried cannabis flowers.

The allowed personal use amount of adult-use cannabis for customers who are at least 21 years old is the following for every transaction:

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

Consumers must show the licensed medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary or micro-dispensary a valid government-issued photo ID to prove their age and identity.

The forms of medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products that licensed dispensaries and micro-dispensaries are allowed to sell are dried flowers, oils, waxes, concentrates, tinctures, capsules, dermal patches, edible goods, suppositories, and topical formulations.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in St. Mary's County?

The delivery of medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products by licensed dispensaries and micro-dispensaries in St. Mary's County is legal under the State of Maryland’s Cannabis Reform Act. Medical cannabis and its products can only be delivered to medical cannabis cardholders while adult-use cannabis and its products can only be delivered to individuals aged 21 and older.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in St. Mary's County

To get a medical cannabis card, residents of St. Mary's County must open an account in the MCA registry through the State of Maryland’s OneStop Portal. They will be given a patient ID number. The patient must bring this number to an MCA-registered physician and be examined to determine a diagnosis of any qualifying illness. There is one such physician in St. Mary's County.

The illnesses that qualify for medical cannabis treatment are:

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

Using the patient's identification number, the doctor will submit the written certification to the MCA registry if the patient's condition is acceptable. Following that, the patient can pay $25 to get a medical cannabis card from the registry. Patients are exempt from paying the charge if they can provide official documentation proving that they are beneficiaries of the Maryland Medical Assistance Program or the Maryland Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

A parent or legal guardian must be at least one of the caregivers for patients who are under the age of 18. Up to four caregivers may be listed, including the parent and legal guardian as well as two more people. Caregivers of patients who are minors and caregivers of adult patients are all required to register with the MCA.

The MCA entertains walk-in queries on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at this office:

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 St. Mary's County?

A 9% sales and use tax is applied to all retail sales of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products to eligible customers in the State of Maryland under the Maryland Cannabis Reform Act. Transactions of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, as well as sales between licensed adult-use cannabis businesses, are exempt from this tax.

The state distributes 5% of its cannabis earnings to counties with licensed adult-use cannabis businesses, based on each one’s percentage of contribution. The county, in turn, must distribute its share among municipalities that have licensed adult-use cannabis businesses, also according to each one’s contribution.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in St. Mary's County

Medical cannabis was legalized in St. Mary's County in 2014, and adult-use cannabis was legalized in 2023.

Data sent by the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office to the Crime Explorer page of the FBI shows that in 2013, a year before the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 155 marijuana possession arrests and eight marijuana sales arrests, totaling 163 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2015, a year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 166 marijuana possession arrests and one marijuana sales arrest, totaling 167 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2018, there were 144 marijuana possession arrests and two marijuana sales arrests, totaling 146 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2021, the latest data showed 98 marijuana possession arrests and no marijuana sales arrest.

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

• 2013: 210 arrests
• 2015: 186 arrests
• 2018: 146 arrests
• 2021: 64 arrests