After it became evident in 2016 that the winners of coveted licenses to grow and process medical marijuana in Maryland were almost all white, the state declared something of a do-over — it increased the number of possible licenses and said it would give minority-owned businesses and those based in economically disadvantaged areas a bump up in their attempt to get into the lucrative new industry.
But the new application process has been anything but smooth, and is currently being held up by a lawsuit alleging technical mishaps, as well as renewed complaints from minority entrepreneurs who say they’re being shut out by bigger out-of-state players who aren’t actually minority-owned.