Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) have joined black state lawmakers in expressing dismay about the lack of diversity in Maryland’s burgeoning medical-marijuana industry.
At the same time, the head of the legislative black caucus is calling for legislation to ban elected officials from taking jobs in the industry. Del. Cheryl D. Glenn (D-Baltimore), who was instrumental in passing the bill that legalized medical marijuana, said she’s angry that another leader in that effort later joined a company seeking a license to grow, process and sell the drug, without publicly making clear his dual roles.
The controversies are the latest snags for Maryland’s potentially lucrative medical-marijuana industry, which has been plagued by multiple delays and missteps since legislation to legalize cannabis for medical use passed in 2013.
This month, state regulators cleared 15 companies to grow marijuana and 15 companies to process the plant into medical products. None of the businesses approved for cultivation are led by African Americans, even though the legislation seeks to create a racially diverse industry in a state where nearly a third of the population is black.
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