SB 594

Enacted

Cannabis - Advertising - Alterations

Sponsor: Pamela Beidle (District 32)Committee: FinanceSubject: CannabisStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 416 (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Altering the ownership and control percentage requirement for a social equity applicant for a cannabis license; prohibiting cannabis advertising from directly targeting individuals under the age of 21 years; authorizing a standard dispensary to place exterior signage for a certain limited purposes; requiring the Maryland Cannabis Administration to accept certain advertising audience composition data and develop a process for accepting a certain attestation from a certain person regarding audience composition; 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 (48)

MGA witness list

FAV 21FavorableFWA 11Favorable with amendmentsUNF 14UnfavorableINFO 2Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Carrington, Darrell	Carrington & Associates, LLC	Written (PDF)
FAV	Carrington, Darrell	Carrington & Associates, LLC	Written (PDF)
FAV	Green, Taylor	EmberDMV	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Broady, Marc	MCCE	Oral
FAV	Broady, Marc	MCCE	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Bryce, Joe	Manis Canning and Associates	Oral
FAV	Bryce, Joe	Manis Canning and Associates	Oral
FAV	Glassman, Barrylobbyist	Nature's Care & Wellness	Oral
FAV	Johnson, Audrey	Office of Social Equity	Written (PDF)
FAV	Foscolo, Lyndsey	Positive Energy - Dispensary	Oral
FAV	Chinemere , Obielobbyist	Rifkin Weiner Livingston, LLC	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Chinemere , Obielobbyist	Rifkin Weiner Livingston, LLC	Oral
FAV	Frick, C. Williamlobbyist	The Frick Firm, LLC	Oral
FAV	Hemachandra, Venus	Verdant	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Bagwell, Ashlielobbyist	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Bagwell, Ashlielobbyist	Individual	Oral
FAV	Beidle, Pamela	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Beidle, Pamela	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Senator Beidle, Senator Beidlelegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Senator Beidle, Senator Beidlelegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Senator Beidle, Senator Beidlelegislator	Individual	Oral
UNF	Townsend, George	Legal Resource Center for Public Health Policy - Cannabis	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Townsend, George	Legal Resource Center for Public Health Policy - Cannabis	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Olateju, Oluwatosin	Maryland Public Health Association (MdPHA)	Written (PDF)
UNF	Goldstein, Laura	Montgomery County Counseling Center	Position only
UNF	Kennedy, Anita	National Alliance of Medication Assisted Recovery, Inc.	Written (PDF)
UNF	Williams, Irnise	OAG	Written (PDF)
UNF	Williams, Irnise	OAG	Written (PDF)
UNF	(MD), State of Maryland	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Asike, Deondra	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Asike, Deondra	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	DeLong, Ashtonlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	DeLong, Ashtonlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	McKechnie, Steven	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	McKechnie, Steven	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Broady, Marc	Cannabis Licensee	Oral
FWA	Davis, Robert	Hi Tide Dispensary - OC Botanicals LLC	Written (PDF)
FWA	Gunther, Tim	ILoveCompliance.biz	Written (PDF)
FWA	Kress, Williamlobbyist	Kress Hammen	Written (PDF)
FWA	Garcia, Justin	Maryland Advisory Board on Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Rawlley, Selena	Maryland Cannabis Administration	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Rawlley, Selena	Maryland Cannabis Administration	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Miller, Tracey	Maryland Medical Dispensary Association / Peake ReLeaf	Written (PDF)
FWA	Johnson, Audrey	Office of Social Equity	Written (PDF)
FWA	Austin, Devona	Peake 70	Written (PDF)
FWA	Elwood, Jaime	Trilogy Wellness of Maryland, LLC	Oral + Written (PDF)
INFO	Maiorana, Ruth	Executive Director, MACHO	Written (PDF)
INFO	Robinson, David	Trilogy Wellness of Maryland, LLC	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Cannabis LicenseeFWA 1

Carrington & Associates, LLCFAV 2

EmberDMVFAV 1

Executive Director, MACHOINFO 1

Hi Tide Dispensary - OC Botanicals LLCFWA 1

ILoveCompliance.bizFWA 1

Kress HammenFWA 1

Legal Resource Center for Public Health Policy - CannabisUNF 2

Manis Canning and AssociatesFAV 2

Maryland Advisory Board on Medical and Adult-Use CannabisFWA 1

Maryland Cannabis AdministrationFWA 2

Maryland Medical Dispensary Association / Peake ReLeafFWA 1

Maryland Public Health Association (MdPHA)UNF 1

MCCEFAV 2

Montgomery County Counseling CenterUNF 1

National Alliance of Medication Assisted Recovery, Inc.UNF 1

Nature's Care & WellnessFAV 1

OAGUNF 2

Office of Social EquityFAV 1FWA 1

Peake 70FWA 1

Positive Energy - DispensaryFAV 1

Rifkin Weiner Livingston, LLCFAV 2

The Frick Firm, LLCFAV 1

Trilogy Wellness of Maryland, LLCFWA 1INFO 1

VerdantFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVGlassman, BarryNature's Care & WellnessRegistered for: AFT Maryland; Aligned Data Centers; Associated Builders & Contractors; Baltimore Industrial Group; Center for Ecosystem Recovery; Earth Funeral Group, Inc.…

FAVChinemere , ObieRifkin Weiner Livingston, LLCRegistered for: 1/ST Racing MD LLC; Alterwood Health, Inc.; Ashley, Inc.; Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum; Baltimore Banner, The; Baltimore Streetcar Museum…

FAVFrick, C. WilliamThe Frick Firm, LLCRegistered for: ADP, Inc.; Ainsworth Game Technology; Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; Lottomatrix Corporation; Maryland Cultivation and Processing, LLC; SeatGeek, Inc.…

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

UNFDeLong, AshtonRegistered for: MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society; Maryland Neurosurgical Society, Inc.

FWAKress, WilliamKress HammenRegistered for: Alliance for Automotive Innovation; Amazon.com Services, LLC; Apple Inc.; Boyd Gaming Corporation; Centers for Better Insurance, LLC; Coalition of Maryland Title Insurers…