Commentary

The writer is a health literacy and health communication expert, director of the University of Maryland Horowitz Center for Health Literacy and a professor in the University of Maryland School of Public Health’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health. Maryland residents have a lot to cheer about with the state’s focus on plain language public information.

This is the first in an occasional series on the 2023 election for Congress in Maryland Sarah Elfreth eased into the dimly lit, crowded interior of the Eastport Democratic Club just as The Leftovers were finishing their Wednesday night set. Michael Hughes, an affable MC who reminds members to tip the bands and bartenders generously, stepped in front of the mic and apologized for what he was about to say.

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.

I had been looking forward to news about the possible replacements for Harborplace — the 43-year-old former jewel in the Baltimore tourism crown — with the same fevered anticipation with which I await each new “Dancing With The Stars” cast. Which is to say I’ve been giddy. Seriously psyched. If you didn’t grow up here, those old, faded green buildings at Pratt and Light streets might seem useless, an empty shell of yesteryear.

This past weekend, Congressman David Trone (D-6th) met with constituents to discuss the findings of a new survey of residents of Maryland’s 6th district on how the federal government should address substance use disorders. This has been a major issue in the state. Maryland has the highest overdose death rate among all deaths, with 4.68% of annual deaths attributed to drug overdoses. The impacts of this crisis have hit every part of the state, in particular rural communities in Western Maryland.

Having attended the funeral of Rodney Pitts and reflecting on this, another tragic loss related to a Baltimore vacant rowhouse fire, from my perspective as a lifelong Baltimore resident and person who works professionally in the nonprofit sector on housing development and renovation of vacant homes, I can only say that we have to do better so that this doesn’t happen again (”Firefighter death in Baltimore renews questions about safety, vacant homes,” Oct. 24).

The Baltimore Orioles had a glorious 2023 season. But are the Orioles really ours? Despite hundreds of millions of public dollars already spent on the team (not including lots of fan dollars) and $600 million offered by the state of Maryland to get a new lease, Orioles President John Angelos has not yet signed a new lease. According to news media reports, he’s demanding the elimination of rent payments and the right to commercially develop parking lots around the stadium with a 99-year ground rent.