1 year since Maryland marijuana legalization, dispensary CEO says growth has been "awesome"

BALTIMORE -- Maryland's marijuana market has been thriving for more than a year since recreational use was legalized.

New dispensaries are opening and retailers are expanding their footprint throughout the state.

Since July 1, 2023, adults in Maryland have legally been able to legally purchase and possess marijuana.

"It was the right time for a lot of reasons and I am excited to be a part of it, said Allison Siegel, the CEO of CULTA, a cannabis company that operates in Maryland.

CULTA has dispensary locations in Baltimore City and Urbana and is opening a location in Columbia on Wednesday.

"The past year has been awesome in Maryland," Siegel said.

Retailers for years have been able to sell cannabis to medical patients, but in 2023, it became legal for adults to use.

According to the Maryland Cannabis Association, so far in 2024, $462.2 million of cannabis products have been sold in the state.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore last month pardoned more than 175,000 convictions , all related to possession of cannabis and cannabis paraphernalia.

"We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization," Moore said.

There is a program that aims to help those once convicted get jobs in the cannabis industry.

As Maryland moves forward with cannabis, those in the industry are working to not only supply Marylanders but educate them on a product that is new to many.

"We have the ability to really take away the stigma that is around this plant," Siegel said.