Maryland Medical Marijuana Dispensary To Open Soon, After Years Of Delays

After several years of delays, a Maryland medical marijuana dispensary is set to open soon, says one of its owners. Barring any additional setbacks, the Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary should be open this coming November.

Better Late Than Never

Sajal Roy, one of three owners of the Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Cumberland, Maryland, is happy to announce the dispensary’s prospective opening. The news comes after the business faced several setbacks.

Roy said he faced delays due to a lack of approved growers in the state. Additionally, he was required to make several upgrades to his facility.

“We received word we need a sprinkler system,” Roy told the Cumberland Times-News. “That pushed us back four weeks. But, we are about done with that, so we are ready to put in the finishing touches.”

“We can button up the ceiling and install carpet and put in doors and countertops. We couldn’t do it because they had to test the sprinkler system.”

To ensure a successful opening, Roy said he will ask the Medical Cannabis Commission to inspect his business in September.

Final Hit: Maryland Medical Marijuana Dispensary To Open Soon

Maryland has traditionally had strict cannabis laws. But it approved the use of medical marijuana back in 2013 after the laws worked through some roadblocks.

Specifically, there were struggles over the process for selecting and licensing growers. Several lawsuits were filed as the state tried to figure out how to proceed.

These legal setbacks slowed down other parts of the industry. For example, finding a grower was one of the roadblocks for Roy.

But he is now working with Green Leaf Medical, a sanctioned grower in Frederick, Maryland. Roy expects to have enough product ready by November. But he said it could be as late as December 1 instead.

Roy also mentioned he already has about 1,000 customers signed up for his dispensary. Currently, he is helping many others move through the process.

“We have 1,000 patients currently registered through our dispensary,” said Roy. “About 300 have fully completed the process. The other 700 have not. So we are helping them to register with the state.”

Although it hasn’t been an easy road, it appears Roy and his fellow co-owners will soon be open for business. Along with providing medical marijuana products, the shop plans to provide educational services.

For example, dispensary staff will regularly hold seminars. The goal is to educate their clients about the benefits of medical marijuana and how patients can use it.

Barring any more unexpected setbacks, it looks like the Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary will be opening its doors to the public sooner rather than later.

“Everything is moving in the right direction,” said dispensary co-owner George Merling. “It takes time to complete this process. We are looking forward to getting our inspection pretty soon and get started.”