HB 556

Cannabis Reform

Sponsor: C. T. Wilson (District 28)Committee: Economic MattersSubject: Alcoholic Beverages - Statewide BillsStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 254 (as of Nov 9, 2023)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Renaming the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission to be the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission; establishing the Maryland Cannabis Administration as an independent unit of State government; establishing a regulatory and licensing system for adult-use cannabis; imposing a sales and use tax of 9% on the sale of cannabis; requiring the Administration, by July 1, 2023, to convert medical cannabis licenses to licenses to operate a medical and adult-use cannabis business; etc.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (143)

MGA witness list

FAV 16FavorableFWA 100Favorable with amendmentsUNF 15UnfavorableINFO 12Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Arikat, Loraine	1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East	Written (PDF)
FAV	Arrington, Michaellobbyist	Capitol Connections, LLC	Oral
FAV	Jennings, Debbie	Chesapeake Region Safety Council	Oral
FAV	Bratsakis, John	MD\|DC Credit Union Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jabin, Drew	Maryland Bankers Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilson, Delegate	Maryland General Assembly	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Britt, Adiena	N/A	Position only
FAV	Thomas, Gina Lee	Organic Green Goddess	Oral
FAV	Yancy Rodgers, Valerie	Organic Green Goddess	Oral
FAV	Borden, David	StoptheDrugWar.org	Oral
FAV	Fraser, Colin	Upling	Oral
FAV	Wallace, K. Alexanderlobbyist	Z+C LLC.	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Wilson, Delegate Wilsonlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Jasen, Debi	Individual	Position only
FAV	Temple, Janice	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Vinocur, Leigh	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Hale, Lauralobbyist	American Heart Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Moyer, Carol	GASP	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Higgs Wise, Chelsea	Marijuana Justice	Oral
UNF	Ferguson, Colby	Maryland Farm Bureau	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Ernest, Michael	None	Written (PDF)
UNF	Askinazi, Bill	Potomac Holistics	Written (PDF)
UNF	Boucher, Kimberly	The Dispensary	Oral
UNF	Pasha, Amran	The Dispensary/ Mr.Smoke	Oral
UNF	Ford, Kevin	Uplift Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Repace, james	repace associates, inc.	Oral
UNF	Ben-yosef, Michael	Individual	Oral
UNF	Casper, Alekslobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Marchione, Anthony	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Miller, Christine	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Roy, Debra	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Kelly, Jeffrey	Alcohol and Tobacco Commission	Position only
FWA	Mosyak, Igor	CBD Plus USA	Written (PDF)
FWA	Colett, Rebecca	Calyxeum	Written (PDF)
FWA	Cannon, Christopher	Cannon Ball Dispensary	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Carrington, Darrell	Carrington & Associates, LLC	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	DeVan, Eugene	Charm City Hemp LLC	Written (PDF)
FWA	Spruill, Derek	Cherry Blossom Hemp	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Alleva, Christopher	Chris Alleva	Oral
FWA	Bourcier, Timothy	City of Havre de Grace	Oral
FWA	Martin, David	City of Havre de Grace	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Rybczynski, Adam	City of Havre de Grace	Written (PDF)
FWA	Cowan, Elly	Compass Advocacy	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Hogan, P.J.	Cornerstone Government Affairs	Written (PDF)
FWA	Mancuso, Damian	Derived Creations	Written (PDF)
FWA	Bibart, James "Ted"	Element MD, LLC	Oral
FWA	Iwomi, Nkechi	Element MD, LLC	Oral
FWA	Gordon, Dawn	Farm Grow	Position only
FWA	Ferguson, Jeffrey	Ferguson Trenching Co Inc	Oral
FWA	Horrigan, John	Five Points	Written (PDF)
FWA	Rausch, Andrew	Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc.	Written (PDF)
FWA	Dubbe, Gina	Greenhouse Wellness	Written (PDF)
FWA	Parekh, Smitha	Hemp Industry	Written (PDF)
FWA	Hemachandra, Venushki (Venus)	Herbiculture Inc.	Written (PDF)
FWA	Davis, Robert	Hi Tide Dispensary - OC Botanicals LLC	Written (PDF)
FWA	Brock, Jenlobbyist	High Street Strategies	Written (PDF)
FWA	Downs, Kirsten	Homeless Persons Representation Project	Oral
FWA	Chaney, Anna	Honey’s Harvest Farm	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Grandpre, Lawrence	Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle	Oral
FWA	Love, Dayvon	Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle	Oral

Showing 60 of 143

Organizations on record

1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers EastFAV 1

ABC Greater Baltimore, Metro Washington, Chesapeake ShoresINFO 1

Alcohol and Tobacco CommissionFWA 1

American Heart AssociationUNF 1

Associated Builders and ContractorsINFO 1

CalyxeumFWA 1

Cannon Ball DispensaryFWA 1

Capitol Connections, LLCFAV 1

Carrington & Associates, LLCFWA 1

CBD Plus USAFWA 1

Charm City Hemp LLCFWA 1

Cherry Blossom HempFWA 1

Chesapeake Region Safety CouncilFAV 1

Chris AllevaFWA 1

City of Havre de GraceFWA 3

Coakley & Williams ConstructionINFO 1

Compass AdvocacyFWA 1

Cornerstone Government AffairsFWA 1

Derived CreationsFWA 1

Element MD, LLCFWA 2

Farm GrowFWA 1

Ferguson Trenching Co IncFWA 1

Five PointsFWA 1

GASPUNF 1

Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc.FWA 1

Greenhouse WellnessFWA 1

Hemp IndustryFWA 1

Herbiculture Inc.FWA 1

Hi Tide Dispensary - OC Botanicals LLCFWA 1

High Street StrategiesFWA 1

Homeless Persons Representation ProjectFWA 1

Honey’s Harvest FarmFWA 1

Leaders of a Beautiful StruggleFWA 2

Libertarian Party of MarylandFWA 1

M-NCPPC - Governement Affairs LiaisonINFO 1

Maitai 41 LLCFWA 1

Mana Supply HoldingsFWA 1

Manis Canning and AssociatesFWA 1

Marijuana JusticeUNF 1

Marijuana Policy ProjectFWA 1

Marileaves ExtractsFWA 1

Mary and Main DispensaryFWA 1

Maryland Access to Justice CommissionFWA 1

Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)FWA 1

Maryland Bankers AssociationFAV 1

Maryland Chamber of CommerceINFO 1

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)FWA 1

Maryland Farm BureauUNF 1

Maryland General AssemblyFAV 1

Maryland Healthy Alternatives AssociationFWA 2

Maryland Legal AidFWA 2

Maryland Legal Services CorporationFWA 1

Maryland Medical Cannabis CommissionFWA 1

Maryland Medical Dispensary Association / Peake ReLeafFWA 1

Maryland Municipal LeagueFWA 1

Maryland NORMLFWA 2

Maryland Public Health AssociationFWA 1

Maryland Retailers AssociationFWA 1

Maryland State & DC AFL-CIOFWA 1

Maryland State Treasurer's OfficeINFO 1

MAS / Black Operators AllianceINFO 1

MD|DC Credit Union AssociationFAV 1

MDMDA & StarBuds BaltimoreFWA 1

MediCanna LLC d/b/a/ Elevated Wellness SolutionsFWA 1

Metro Washington Council AFL-CIOFWA 1

MHAAFWA 3

Montgomery County GovernmentFWA 1

N/AFAV 1

National Clinical Director ConsortiumFWA 1

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)FWA 1

NoneUNF 1

Office of Attorney GeneralFWA 1

Organic Green GoddessFAV 2

Potomac HolisticsUNF 1

Progressive MarylandFWA 1

repace associates, inc.UNF 1

StoptheDrugWar.orgFAV 1

Strib'ble District LLC, MDNORMLFWA 1

TerrAscendFWA 1

TerrAscend Corp.FWA 1

The Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires' DiseaseFWA 1

the bean team company LLCFWA 1

The DispensaryUNF 1

The Dispensary/ Mr.SmokeUNF 1

The ServeINFO 1

Tilstar CorporationFWA 1

Town of Chesapeake BeachFWA 1

TT&LBFWA 1

UFCW 400FWA 1

United Empowerment PartyFWA 1

United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local No 27FWA 1

United Food and Commercial Workers InternationalFWA 1

Uplift MarylandUNF 1

UplingFAV 1

Vapor Worldwide LLCFWA 1

WaaveFWA 1

Z+C LLC.FAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVArrington, MichaelCapitol Connections, LLCRegistered for: Bulldog Group LLC, The; RPJ Towing and Recovery; Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC; Stellar IT Solutions; Swamibapa1 LLC; TIS Foundation, Inc. / Motir Services, Inc.…

FAVWallace, K. AlexanderZ+C LLC.Registered for: Security Industry Association; Oracle America, Inc.; Baltimore Collegetown Network; BusPatrol America LLC

UNFHale, LauraAmerican Heart AssociationRegistered for: American Heart Association

UNFCasper, AleksRegistered for: American Lung Association

FWABrock, JenHigh Street StrategiesRegistered for: Oceantic Network; KaBoom, Inc.; City of Salisbury; US Wind, Inc.; Greater Baden Medical Services; CI Renewables…

FWANaugle, OliviaMarijuana Policy ProjectRegistered for: Marijuana Policy Project

FWAJordan, Lisae CMaryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)Registered for: Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault

FWATilburg, WilliamMaryland Medical Cannabis CommissionRegistered for: University of Maryland Medical System

FWAPrice, SarahMaryland Retailers AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Retailers Alliance; Maryland Retailers Association

FWAMock, KaylaUFCW 400Registered for: United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 400

FWABagwell, AshlieRegistered for: AbbVie Inc.; Aligned Data Centers; American Academy of Anesthesiology Assistants, Inc.; Atmosphere Data Centers LLC; Baltimore Civic Fund, Inc.; Beltway Fine Wine…

FWAGlassman, BarryRegistered for: AFT Maryland; Aligned Data Centers; Associated Builders & Contractors; Baltimore Industrial Group; Center for Ecosystem Recovery; Earth Funeral Group, Inc.…

FWAHawkins, JarrydRegistered for: Greater Baden Medical Services; Trulieve, Inc.; City of Salisbury; Waterkeepers Chesapeake; Bike Maryland; KaBoom, Inc.…

INFOJackson, MarcusAssociated Builders and ContractorsRegistered for: Associated Builders & Contractors

INFOGriffin, AndrewMaryland Chamber of CommerceRegistered for: Alliance to Prevent Legionnaire's Disease; American Subcontractors Association of Baltimore; Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park; Associated Utility Contractors of Maryland; Experience Prince George's; Howard County Chamber of Commerce…

INFOMehu, NatashaRegistered for: Maryland Hospital Association; Maryland Patient Care and Access Coalition; Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants; Maryland Academy of Advanced Practice Clinicians; Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, LLC; Maryland Works, Inc.…