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Maryland cannabis rules: what to know and how to check

In Maryland, adults 21 and older can buy cannabis from dispensaries licensed by the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA). Look the dispensary up in the MCA’s Dispensary Locator before you buy. Licensed products must be lab-tested and labeled, and the MCA posts recall notices.

Checked against the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) and Maryland law on . Next review: .

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.

Official source

Maryland’s cannabis regulator: Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA)

These links go to the regulator’s own website. CHSA does not copy or host license records, so you always see the official, current version.

What’s different in Maryland

One state agency, the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA), regulates both medical and adult-use cannabis. The same licensed dispensaries serve both. Maryland voters allowed adult use in the 2022 election, and legal sales began on July 1, 2023. Dispensaries must keep patient-only hours or a separate line for patients.

Medical patients register with the MCA after a registered provider certifies them. Registration is free and lasts six years. The certification sets how much a patient may buy in a rolling 30-day period. Patients show their MCA ID number and a government photo ID; a patient card is optional. Patients under 18 need a parent or guardian as caregiver.

Counties and cities can set reasonable zoning rules for cannabis businesses. State law says they may not unduly burden a licensee, block deliveries from businesses in other places, or add their own cannabis tax.

Smoking cannabis in a public place, like a park, sidewalk, restaurant or bus, is against the law. A first offense can bring a fine of up to $50. You may not have cannabis on federal property or take it across state lines.

Hemp products follow the cannabis rules once they pass a THC limit. Products you eat or inhale with more than 0.5 mg of THC per serving or 2.5 mg per package, including delta-8 and delta-10 THC, may be sold only by MCA licensees, only to people 21 and older, and only if they meet MCA testing and label rules. Products made with cannabinoids that don't come from natural plant compounds can't be sold at all.

Licensed does not mean risk-free. Licensed products are tested before sale, and the MCA has recalled licensed products. In September 2025 it recalled a product that failed a safety test.

Maryland rules at a glance

These are the main state rules for adult-use cannabis. Counties and cities can add zoning rules. Numbers in brackets link to the law or the regulator’s guidance.

Maryland rules, with sources
Topic The rule Source
Minimum age 21 and older for adult use. Dispensaries must check a government photo ID. Registered medical patients and caregivers 18 and older may also buy. Patients under 18 get medical cannabis through a caregiver. [1] Md. Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis § 36-1101(a); § 36-302(c); MCA Legalization FAQs
How much you can have Adults 21 and older may have the "personal use amount": up to 1.5 ounces of flower, up to 12 grams of concentrate, or cannabis products with up to 750 mg of THC in all. Having more, up to 2.5 ounces, 20 grams or 1,250 mg, is a civil offense with a fine of up to $250. Dispensaries may not sell you more than the personal use amount in one day. Medical patients may have the amount in their certification. [2] Md. Code, Criminal Law § 5-101(u), (e-2); § 5-601(a)(1)(ii), (c)(2)(ii); Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis § 36-302(g); MCA Dispensary Guidance v10, pp. 4–5
Growing at home Adults 21 and older may grow up to 2 plants per home, no matter how many adults live there. Registered patients 21 and older may grow up to 4 per home. Plants must be out of public view, including from a neighbor's property, and secured from anyone under 21. Landlords can ban growing. [3] Md. Code, Criminal Law § 5-601.2(b), (c), (f); Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis § 36-302(b); MCA Legalization FAQs
Delivery Limited. Through June 30, 2027, standard dispensaries and registered delivery services may deliver only to registered medical patients and caregivers. Micro dispensaries, once they are operating, may also deliver to adults 21 and older. Dispensaries may offer pre-order pickup, curbside pickup and drive-through windows. [4] MCA Dispensary Guidance v10 (Sept. 4, 2026), pp. 6–7; COMAR 14.17.12.03
Required lab tests An independent lab registered with the MCA tests each batch and issues a certificate of analysis. Flower is tested for THC and other cannabinoids, terpenes, moisture and water activity, foreign matter, mold and bacteria (including Salmonella and E. coli), mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides. Concentrates are also tested for leftover solvents, and vapes for vitamin E acetate. [5] MCA Technical Authority for Cannabis Testing, Rev. 6.0 (eff. Feb. 2025), Appendix A, Table 1; COMAR 14.17.08.05
Labels Labels must show Maryland's universal THC symbol (at least 1/2 by 1/2 inch, on the front), the lot number, the expiration or best-by date, the licensees who made and packaged it, and a QR code or link to the lab's certificate of analysis. They also carry four warnings (21+ or registered patients only; driving; pregnancy and breastfeeding; keep away from children and animals) and the Maryland Poison Center number. [6] COMAR 14.17.18.03; Md. Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis § 36-203.1(b), as explained in MCA's Packaging and Labeling Guidance v1 (Aug. 31, 2026), pp. 2–3
Packaging Every package must be child-resistant, tamper-evident and opaque. Packages with more than one serving must be resealable. Packaging may not appeal to people under 21 (no cartoons, candy look-alikes or food images) and may not make medical claims. [6] COMAR 14.17.18.02B, .07; Md. Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis § 36-203.1(b)–(c); MCA Packaging and Labeling Guidance v1, pp. 1–2
Edible THC limits Adult-use edibles, capsules and tinctures may have up to 10 mg of THC per serving and 100 mg per package. A drink container counts as one serving (10 mg or less). Stronger products are sold only to registered patients. Edible labels must warn that effects may be delayed by 4 or more hours. [4] MCA Dispensary Guidance v10, p. 3; COMAR 14.17.18.05 (MCA Packaging and Labeling Guidance v1, p. 4)
Poison control Maryland Poison Center: 1-800-222-1222 . Free, confidential, 24/7. Call 911 if someone has trouble breathing or won’t wake up. www.mdpoison.com

Maryland recalls

MCA posts recall notices for licensed products. CHSA doesn’t keep a live list of Maryland recalls yet, so check MCA’s own list.

Keep the package. A recall notice lists the product and its batch or ID number, which you match against your label.

How Maryland compares

Compare Maryland with the other states CHSA covers.

Sources

  1. Maryland Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 36-1101 (Sale, transfer, or delivery of cannabis) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  2. Maryland Code, Criminal Law 5-101 (Definitions) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  3. Maryland Code, Criminal Law 5-601.2 (Cultivation of cannabis plants) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  4. Dispensary Guidance (Version 10, updated September 4, 2026) Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Published · Retrieved
  5. The Maryland Cannabis Administration's Technical Authority for Cannabis Testing (Revision 6.0) Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Retrieved
  6. Packaging and Labeling Guidance (Version 1, updated August 31, 2026) Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Published · Retrieved
  7. Legalization FAQs Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Retrieved
  8. Dispensary Locator Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Retrieved
  9. Maryland Code, Criminal Law 5-601 (Possessing or administering controlled dangerous substance) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  10. Maryland Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 36-302 (Medical cannabis) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  11. Maryland Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 36-301 (Certifying providers) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  12. Patient FAQs Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Retrieved
  13. COMAR 14.17.08.05 Independent Testing Laboratory Responsibilities Library of Maryland Regulations (Maryland Division of State Documents) · Retrieved
  14. Maryland Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 36-203.1 (Potency; labeling; and packaging) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  15. Maryland Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 36-405 (Political subdivisions) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  16. Maryland Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 36-1102 (Prohibitions on sale and distribution) Maryland General Assembly · Retrieved
  17. NOTICE: Update on Intoxicating THC Products (September 18, 2025) Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Published · Retrieved
  18. Bulletins/Notices Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Retrieved
  19. NOTICE: Recall Notification (September 16, 2025) Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Published · Retrieved
  20. Report an Incident Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Retrieved
  21. Maryland Cannabis Administration (home page) Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) · Retrieved
  22. Maryland Poison Center University of Maryland School of Pharmacy · Retrieved

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.