Black Baltimore has largely been left out of Maryland’s marijuana industry. Here’s how some are pushing to fix that.

Medical cannabis has grown into a $600-million-a-year industry in Maryland since the first pre-rolled joint was sold legally in 2017, but Black Baltimoreans are largely left out. Baltimore, which is 62% Black, has 10 dispensaries. Some are locally owned. Others are owned by multistate corporations. None have majority Black ownership. And only one dispensary is located in a Black neighborhood. Now, Maryland is poised to legalize adult-use cannabis, meaning more dispensaries, more jobs and more money.