Licensing
The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) is charged with administering the application for Social Equity cannabis licenses. Maryland is the first state in the nation to open a cannabis licensing round exclusively for qualifying social equity applicants in all license types.
The Cannabis Reform Act establishes at least two separate rounds of licensing. The state's first social equity licensing round closed on December 12, 2023, with 1,708 applications submitted across all three license categories (Dispensary, Grower, Processor). On March 14, 2024, the Maryland Cannabis Administration conducted a lottery for 174 social equity business licenses. The lottery results affirm OSE's commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the cannabis industry.
Since the enactment of the Cannabis Reform Act, the MCA has conducted outreach and educational sessions to provide interested individuals and businesses with information on the application process and requirements and connect potential applicants with industry experts to learn more about the cannabis industry.
EligibilityThe Cannabis Reform Act charges the Office of Social Equity with publishing the social equity applicant eligibility criteria for the Fall 2023 licensing application round. Maryland is putting forward the first round of applications exclusively for social equity applicants.
The law defines an eligible social equity applicant as having at least 65% ownership and control held by one or more individuals who:
- Criteria 1: Has lived in a disproportionately impacted area* for at least 5 of the last 10 years immediately preceding the submission of the application; or
- Criteria 2: Attended a public school in a disproportionately impacted area for at least 5 years; or
- Criteria 3: For at least two years, attended a four-year institution of higher education in the State where at least 40% of the individuals who attended the institution of higher education received a Pell Grant.
*The law defines “disproportionately impacted area” as a geographic area identified by the Office of Social Equity that had above 150% of the State’s 10-year average for cannabis possession charges.Social Equity Applicant Eligibility CriteriaThe Office of Social Equity has collected, evaluated, and published the following criteria to be considered as a social equity applicant. An applicant must meet one of the following criteria and owns and controls at least 65% of the business:
Criteria 1: Disproportionately Impacted Area Zip CodesUsing data from the Maryland Judiciary, the Office of Social Equity conducted a 10-year analysis to determine that these zip codes (
English |
Spanish) meet the statutory definition of a disproportionately impacted area.
Criteria 2: Public School Attendance in a Disproportionately Impacted AreaUsing data from the Maryland State Department of Education, the Office of Social Equity conducted an analysis to determine that these public schools (
English |
Spanish) are located in disproportionately impacted areas in the State.
Criteria 3: Higher Education Institution AttendanceUsing data from the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the Office of Social Equity determined that these 4-year institutions of higher education (
English |
Spanish) meet the statutory requirements for this criteria.
Disproportionately Impacted AreaNote: This map is a living document. The Office of Social Equity is working to ensure this is a complete and comprehensive tool for prospective applicants to use. However, closed schools, schools that have relocated, or other changes or challenges in identifying a school's physical address may result in public schools not being represented here that may qualify. Additionally, appearance on this map does not guarantee a school's eligibility. All prospective applicants' social equity status is subject to verification by the MCA's third-party verification processor. We would encourage individuals who believe their school is in a disproportionately impacted area, regardless of its appearance on this map, engage with the Social Equity Verification process to confirm their eligibility.
