Maryland officials announced the recipients of preliminary licenses to grow and process medical marijuana Monday, two years after then-Governor Martin O’Malley passed Maryland’s first workable medical marijuana law. The licenses are expected to be extremely lucrative in the state based on the limited number of businesses that can participate in the industry, as well as the few restrictions on who can buy the drug.

The Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Cannabis Commission was placed in charge of the selection process,  choosing 15 growers and 15 processors out of the more than 1,000 overall applicants.

According to Baltimore ABC affiliate, the selections for grower entities and locations are:

• Curio Cultivation LLC – Baltimore County
• Doctors Orders Maryland LLC – Dorchester County
• Forward Gro LLC – Anne Arundel County
• Freestate Wellness LLC – Howard County
• Green Leaf Medical LLC – Frederick County
• Grow West MD LLC – Garrett County
• Harvest of Maryland LLC – Washington County
• HMS Health LLC – Frederick County
• Holistic Industries LLC – Prince George’s County
• Kind Therapeutics USA LLC – Washington County
• Maryland Compassionate Care and Wellness LLC – Carroll County
• MaryMed LLC – Dorchester County
• Shore Natural Rx LLC – Worcester County
• SunMed Growers LLC – Cecil County
• Temescal Wellness of MD LLC – Baltimore City

The processor entities and locations are:

• AFS Maryland LLC – Wicomico County
• Blair Wellness Center LLC – Worcester County
• Chesapeake Alternatives LLC – Queen Anne’s County
• Curio Manufacturing LLC – Baltimore County
• Doctors Orders Maryland LLC – Dorchester County
• FGM Processing LLC – Charles County
• Holistic Industries LLC – Prince George’s County
• Kind Therapeutics USA LLC – Washington County
• Maryland Compassionate Care and Wellness – Carroll County
• MaryMed LLC – Dorchester County
• Pharmaculture Corporation – Alleghany County
• Pro Green Medical LLC – Frederick County
• Rosebud Organics LLC – Montgomery County
• Seven Points Agro-Therapeutics LLC – Prince George’s County
• Temescal Wellness of MD – Baltimore City

The top applicants were selected on August 5; however, the commission waited more than a week to release the names to the public. Some of the names on the list include companies with ties to politicians and law enforcement, as well as growers from other states including Colorado, New York, and Illinois.

The number of growers and processors was capped at 15 each due to a stipulation in Maryland’s medical marijuana law, but some applicants received licenses in both categories. Aside from the 30 winners, the panel also chose five applicants to be alternates in each category, in case any of the top 15 fail to be licensed after another round of inspections, reviews, and background checks.

In total, the commission received 145 grower applications and 124 processor applications. According to the Baltimore Sun, 800 applicants also applied for 94 dispensary licenses to sell the legalized cannabis product; however, medical cannabis won’t be available for purchase in dispensaries until 2017.

Patients suffering from medical conditions that cause severe or chronic pain, nausea, seizures, severe muscle spasms, and severe appetite loss, as well as people with glaucoma or post-traumatic stress disorder will have access to the medical marijuana cards once the program takes off. In the meantime, marijuana advocates frustrated with Maryland’s slower than average implementation of the law will have to wait just a little longer before they see the changes in full effect.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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