Maryland will prioritize wronged Black farmers for cannabis business licenses; here’s why

On Oct. 9, the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) began accepting applications for the first cannabis business licenses to be issued pursuant to the Cannabis Reform Act — the new state law legalizing the cultivation, manufacture and sale of cannabis for adult consumers. A total of five licenses to cultivate cannabis will be available in this first application round (there are 22 businesses currently authorized to grow cannabis in the state), which ends Dec. 7.