SB 623

Tobacconist Businesses and Establishment of a Premium Cigar Lounge Alcoholic Beverages License (Maryland Premium Cigar Lounge Act of 2026)

Sponsor: Ron Watson (District 23)Committee: FinanceSubject: Business RegulationStatus: Special Order until later today (Senator Hershey) Adopted (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Establishing a Class C-PCL (premium cigar lounge) alcoholic beverages license for use in conjunction with a tobacconist license; authorizing a local licensing board to issue the license; authorizing a local licensing board to permit the owner or operator of a tobacconist that does not hold an alcoholic beverages license to allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages on the premises under certain circumstances; prohibiting a county clerk from issuing a tobacconist license if the location shares a wall with a health care or child care facility; etc.

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Testimony (28)

MGA witness list

FAV 8FavorableFWA 3Favorable with amendmentsUNF 14UnfavorableINFO 3Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Bohle, Matthew	RWL	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Helmuth, Finnie	The Humidour Cigar Shoppe	Oral
FAV	Helmuth, Finnie	The Humidour Cigar Shoppe	Written (PDF)
FAV	Singh, Raj	Tinder Box Waldorf	Written (PDF)
FAV	Singh, Raj	Tinder Box Waldorf	Oral
FAV	Gupta, Rahul	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Senator Watson, Senator Watsonlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Senator Watson, Senator Watsonlegislator	Individual	Oral
UNF	Kilpatrick, Lancelobbyist	ACS-CAN	Written (PDF)
UNF	Debnam, Charles	African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Debnam, Charles	African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council	Written (PDF)
UNF	Kilpatrick, Lancelobbyist	American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network	Oral
UNF	Hale, Lauralobbyist	American Heart Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Hale, Lauralobbyist	American Heart Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Jimison, Kristin	Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids	Oral
UNF	Feeley, Kathryn	Legal Resource Center for Public Health Policy	Written (PDF)
UNF	Kennedy, Anita	National Alliance of Medication Assisted Recovery, Inc.	Written (PDF)
UNF	Thompson, Melvinlobbyist	Restaurant Association of Maryland	Written (PDF)
UNF	Billings, Paul	Individual	Oral
UNF	Casper, Alekslobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Casper, Alekslobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Gally, Ericlobbyist	Individual	Oral
FWA	Moritz, Heather	MD Conference of Environmental Directors & MACHO	Written (PDF)
FWA	Watson, Senator	Individual	Written (PDF)
FWA	Wise, Steve	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
INFO	Garrison, Andrew	Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission	Written (PDF)
INFO	Lynch, Meghan	Maryland Department of Health	Written (PDF)
INFO	Lynch, Meghan	Maryland Department of Health	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

ACS-CANUNF 1

African American Tobacco Control Leadership CouncilUNF 2

American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkUNF 1

American Heart AssociationUNF 2

Campaign for Tobacco Free KidsUNF 1

Legal Resource Center for Public Health PolicyUNF 1

Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis CommissionINFO 1

Maryland Department of HealthINFO 2

MD Conference of Environmental Directors & MACHOFWA 1

National Alliance of Medication Assisted Recovery, Inc.UNF 1

Restaurant Association of MarylandUNF 1

RWLFAV 1

The Humidour Cigar ShoppeFAV 2

Tinder Box WaldorfFAV 2

Registered lobbyists who testified

UNFKilpatrick, LanceACS-CANRegistered for: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

UNFKilpatrick, LanceAmerican Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkRegistered for: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

UNFHale, LauraAmerican Heart AssociationRegistered for: American Heart Association

UNFThompson, MelvinRestaurant Association of MarylandRegistered for: Restaurant Association of Maryland

UNFCasper, AleksRegistered for: American Lung Association

UNFGally, EricRegistered for: American Heart Association; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Chesapeake Bay Trust; Earthjustice; Forever Maryland, Inc.; Gally Public Affairs, Inc.…