medical cannabis – Sandy Rosenberg

“This is cannabis. I don’t do anything without talking with the Attorney General’s Office.”

Will Tilburg, the executive director of the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, offered that response to a question at our committee briefing today.

The Commission has been sued over its award of licenses, the lead sponsor of legislation regarding medical marijuana pled guilty to bribery charges today, and cannabis – medical or otherwise, is an illegal drug under federal law.

As the career leader among legislators in requesting advice from the Attorney General, I understood.

After the public hearing, there was a discussion about a health insurance bill with a civil rights provision.

“Civil rights is one of my passions,” I said.

I will be included in the group that reviews the bill.

We had a 2 ½ hour hearing on medical cannabis legislation this afternoon.

I asked one question: How does the directive from Attorney General Sessions regarding federal prosecutions of marijuana offenses affect Maryland’s program?

“We are already studying that question and will share our conclusions with you and the committee,” responded an Assistant Maryland Attorney General.

I also emailed our committee counsel to ask how this year’s bill differs from the legislation that passed the House last year.

Several witnesses asked us to change the law to increase their chance of being awarded a license.

It’s our job to balance making this treatment option available to those who need it in a medically appropriate manner with achieving diversity of ownership within the industry.

But I must admit. I was partial to the testimony of the witnesses from Hippocratic Growth.

Any group that imaginative in naming itself must know what it’s doing.