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The information contained in this newsletter is intended for Maryland Cannabis Business Agents aged 21+. This newsletter is provided by the Maryland Cannabis Administration for the purposes of general updates and as a supplemental educational resource. It is not intended to replace or constitute legal or business advice, consultation or service. You should consult an attorney for advice. For compliance concerns, contact your investigator or mca.compliance@maryland.gov. |
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Greetings,
Welcome to the Winter edition of the BeCannabisSmart newsletter.
It feels like yesterday that I stepped into the next chapter of my professional career and was appointed to serve as the director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration. And, now it’s December, and we’re days away from the New Year.
What a whirlwind!
The MCA continues to remain responsive to matters and measures that are important to our licensees and will provide additional information as available related to today’s breaking news on federal rescheduling.
Recently, the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) enhanced its educational efforts around permissible advertising and is providing you with comprehensive resources to support your understanding of advertising requirements and compliance obligations. Enclosed, you’ll learn more about the resources available on MCA's website. Additionally, in this edition, we’ll highlight the completion of advanced courses by alumni of the Workforce Development Program; continued implementation of the Trusted Source campaign which informs adult consumers on Maryland regulated dispensaries; the latest COMAR updates and more.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram - @mcadminofficial and X: @mdcannabis for the latest MCA updates and information.
In closing, I would like to wish each of you a safe and prosperous holiday season!
And, as always, read on to … Be informed. Be responsible. BeCannabisSmart.
With gratitude,
Tabatha Robinson
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Cannabis Trusted Source
To continue to educate current and potential adult-use consumers on the difference between regulated dispensaries and ‘other’ sources, MCA is expanding its Cannabis Trusted Source media to reflect the emerging legal landscape. Holiday-themed Cannabis Trusted Source media is currently running through early January. See samples of the digital media running online and check us out on Facebook and Instagram @mcadminofficial and X: @mdcannabis. To date, there have been more than 65,000 views to the Cannabis Trusted Source webpage and over 20,000 visits to the searchable Dispensary Locator tool.
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Today, the President of the United States has issued an Executive Order moving marijuana to Schedule III under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C.). Despite the rescheduling, the Maryland law remains fully operative and unchanged, and state licensing and enforcement continues as enacted by Maryland General Assembly. MCA is currently reviewing the federal action in coordination with legal counsel and state leadership and will provide further guidance to Maryland stakeholders including licensed businesses in coming days. |
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On November 14, 2025, MCA’s Notice of Proposed Action (NOPA) to amend COMAR 14.17.01, .02, .05, .06, .10-.15, .18, and .21 was printed in the Maryland Register. MCA will provide guidance about effective and enforcement dates on the MCA website. Current amendments include:
- Extending the conditional license period from 18 to 24 months.
- Reducing agent badging fees from $50 to $25.
- Permitting “walk-up” windows at standard dispensaries.
- Permitting the production of high dose liquid edibles for the medical market.
- Additional policy updates and clarifications to improve safety and compliance, including but not limited to: granting pilot program authority to MCA, establishing grower and processor decontamination protocols, and defining certain terms.
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MCA's Workforce Development Program successfully completed its Level I and Advanced Level in-person courses for 2025. Level I introductory courses were held this fall at Howard Community College and the Community College of Baltimore County. Participants were trained in cultivation, processing, and front and back of house dispensary operations. Program alumni were introduced to Advanced Training in rosin press extractions and a four-month advanced cultivation series at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. MCA looks forward to offering additional Level I in-person courses beginning in spring 2026 at Howard Community College and the Community College of Baltimore County. Individuals interested in joining the Workforce Development Program can apply through MCA’s website under the Workforce Development Program tab. Click here for more information. |
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Welcome to FLWR dispensary and the Edge, which both opened their doors this fall to medical and adult-use customers! (NOTE: additional dispensaries are also close to opening! Newsletter is accurate as of dissemination date.) |
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 Product Recall
MCA issued a product recall on September 16, 2025 for products that failed safety compliance testing due to the presence of total coliforms. MCA is appreciative of the prompt attention and care to this matter by many of you in the field. Due to diligent collaboration between cannabis agents, licensees, MCA laboratory services, and compliance staff, this recall was only the second in program history. This reinforces MCA’s commitment to program safety and the prioritization of regulations and SOPs. Please continue to accept recalled products for proper disposal. For questions, contact mca.compliance@maryland.gov. For adverse event and complaint forms, click here.
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 MCA conducts announced and unannounced inspections of all licensees throughout the year. Monthly and year-to-date inspection counts are displayed on MCA’s public data dashboard (see “Inspections”). To prepare for inspections, be sure all documentation is up-to-date and accurate including SOPs, personnel and training records, and visitor and green waste logs. MCA inspection guidance and FAQs on “What to Expect when We’re Inspecting” can be found here.
Reminders
- There has been an increase in the occurrences of sales to patients who have either an expired certification, registration, or both. In accordance with 14.17.12.04 A(2)(B), before dispensing cannabis products to a patient and/or caregiver, a dispensary agent shall query MCA’s data network and verify that a certifying provider issued a valid written certification to the qualifying patient. In addition, the dispensary agent shall verify the patient and/or caregiver is currently registered with the MCA. For each medical sale, dispensary agents should be querying OneStop and Metrc to view expiration dates for both. Selling cannabis products to a medical patient with an expired certification is an adult-use sale and cannot be considered a medical transaction.
- A dispensary may not knowingly dispense more than the personal use amount in a single day to an adult-use customer, which means an amount that does not exceed: 1.5 ounces flower; 12 grams of concentrated cannabis; or 750 mg total THC (edibles). More information on recent operational changes for licensed dispensaries can be found in MCA’s Dispensary Guidance.
- A licensed processor may submit a request to MCA to review a novel product for consideration. A novel product is defined as a cannabis product that is: 1) not presently authorized in Maryland; and 2) lawfully produced in another jurisdiction.
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Deadline approaching on required Responsible Vendor Training! All currently badged agents must complete an approved Responsible Vendor Training and have documentation (certificate of completion) on file by December 31, 2025. (Note: any badged agent who successfully completed an RVT course in 2024 or 2025 has met this requirement and does not need to complete a new course until 2026.)
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This distribution list has been developed from email addresses provided with cannabis agent registration. If you are aware of colleagues who are not receiving this newsletter, please ensure they have provided a valid email address in their OneStop account.
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