On September 8, 2023, the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) announced the 30-application period for the first round of new cannabis business licenses in the State.

The 30-day application period will open at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST), November 13, 2023, and close at 5 PM EST on December 12, 2023. Applications submitted after 5PM will not be accepted or reviewed by the MCA.

The MCA will award up to 179 licenses as follows:

Information on the number of licenses to be awarded by county and/or region, may be found on this document: Applic​ation Announcement​

As a reminder, an individual may only be associated with ONE application per license type, and no more than TWO applications within a given round. Additionally, the MCA will not award any licenses that would violate statutory ownership or control restrictions. This means, while you may apply for both a Standard and a Micro Grower license, you may not be awarded both licenses under law. You also may not submit an application for the same license type in two different regions. Any application found to be in violation of these statutory restrictions will not be reviewed by the MCA or eligible for award in the lottery.

The MCA opened the Social Equity Verification Portal on September 8, to allow individuals to confirm their eligibility as a social equity applicant prior to the beginning of the licensing round. The portal will be open for a period of 60-days, closing on November 7. To request a link to this portal from the MCA, you must first complete this form: Cannabis Business Licensing Interest Form. More information on the verification process can also be found here: Social Equity Verification ​and by referencing this guide: Maryland Social Equity Cannabis Verifica​tion A Guide for Applicants​​