Growing Strong

ecreational legalization of cannabis in Maryland has translated into big business. In the first three months since its July 1 legalization for adults 21 and older, statewide monthly cannabis sales have averaged nearly $90 million—more than double that of medical product alone.

The most popular product by far remains the bud or flower (60 percent of sales); followed by concentrates, a wax or oil resulting from processing the flower into a more potent form (26 percent); edible products infused with cannabis, like gummies, chocolate, or cookies (seven percent); and other cannabis-infused goods for smoking or topical use, like vape cartridges, capsules, or salves (five percent).

Legalization of recreational (or adult-use, as it’s known in the industry) cannabis has opened the door to a growing base of new customers for local brands like Curio Wellness, the state’s largest medical cannabis company with growing, processing, and retail businesses. Ahead of adult-use sales, Curio opened a $7-million, 34,000-squarefoot, product research, development, and manufacturing facility in Cockeysville in 2021 and opened the first of its Far & Dotter dispensary franchises in 2022.

“Since the launch of adult-use, we’ve expanded our team across multiple sectors of the industry, also creating a number of local jobs,” says Wendy Bronfein, Curio’s co-founder, chief brand officer, and director of public policy. “We continue to learn about how canna-curious consumers are looking to integrate cannabis into their everyday lives and incorporate this feedback as we develop across our product lines of vapes, flower, and edibles.”

At Far & Dotter, an overall focus on health and wellness includes nutritional supplements, hemp-derived CBD-infused products in the holistic pharmacy, and even acupuncture and facials from the adjacent spa. “Our wellness centers provide products and services that are complementary to the cannabis experience,” Bronfein says. Through the spa and pharmacy, Far & Dotter provides an “approachable way to acclimate new consumers and connoisseurs alike” with a range of wellness products alongside cannabis.

Increasingly, the consumers turning to these products are seniors—many of whom used the substance illegally in the past and are rediscovering its benefits for problems like pain and sleeplessness in addition to recreation.

While those over 60 are much less likely to use cannabis regularly than young adults, with 15 percent compared to 25 percent reporting use in the past month, they are the fastest-growing customer base in the industry. That’s where experts like Laura Barrett-Nutting come in.

“Legalization has changed my work far more than I expected,” says Barrett-Nutting, a consultant providing cannabis education and services to individual patients, dispensaries, and health care providers. Known professionally as “Nurse Laura,” she’s also the president and founder of the National Clinical Director Consortium, which brings together cannabis clinical directors across the nation around best practices and education. Like many in the local industry, Barrett-Nutting looked to trends in other states that moved from medical to recreational programs to anticipate changes in Maryland.

“Based on data from other states like Colorado, I anticipated seeing an increase in Baby Boomers becoming medical patients once Maryland legalized adult-use,” Barrett-Nutting says. “The belief is that Baby Boomers would feel less stigmatized about becoming patients if it were legal in the state.”

As anticipated, Barrett-Nutting says her patient logs reflect an increased number of consultations with consumers over age 60 since legalization in July. “What I did not expect was the number of adult-use consumers asking for consultations without wanting to sign up as patients,” she says. “They may qualify but choose not to enlist.”

In Maryland, the medical cannabis program provides benefits to registered patients with a qualifying medical condition such as nausea, pain, glaucoma, seizures, or PTSD. Those with medical cards save the nine-percent sales tax and get access to conveniences like preferred-access lines at dispensaries, home delivery, and curbside pick-up. “Most importantly, medical patients have access to a larger and wider variety of cannabinoid products,” Barrett-Nutting explains. “These include tinctures, which are generally oil-based cannabinoid ratios for micro-dosing, higher milligram edibles, concentrated inhalation products, and RSO, a potent, full-spectrum cannabis oil used orally or for cooking.”

With so many more options available and products that are much stronger than what Baby Boomers may have been familiar with in the past, consultations with clinical directors or educated budtenders at the dispensary are essential to a positive experience.

A registered nurse for more than 25 years, Barrett-Nutting found her way into the cannabis industry when a friend asked her to serve as the medical advisor to a grow facility he was opening in Howard County. “I wasn’t a cannabis user or cannabis advocate at all prior to 2016,” explains Barrett-Nutting. But after some time and a lot of research, she agreed.

Before starting her own business, Barrett-Nutting had experience in all sides of the local cannabis market, from growing and processing to distribution and retail. When consolidation in the medical cannabis industry resulted in Barrett-Nutting leaving the business, she put her skills to use where she saw a need in the market.

Maryland requires every dispensary to have a registered clinical director—a position that can be filled by a nurse, pharmacist, or doctor—available to provide training and education for dispensary staff. Barrett-Nutting established the National Clinical Director Consortium in 2021 as a resource for clinical directors in Maryland to create reliable standards for patient care, improve dispensary staff education, and continue to advocate to reduce the stigma of cannabis. The group quickly expanded to support practitioners in this role beyond the state.

As new consumers buy the products each day, educators remain focused on introducing the basic information about cannabis safety to the public to avoid negative experiences.

“The biggest misconception with medical and adult-use cannabis consumption is the idea that it is harmless to ‘share your gummies,’” Barrett-Nutting says. “I have supported more patients and consumers in the past few months who accidentally became over-intoxicated to the point of feeling paranoid, nauseated, dizzy, hallucinated, or some combination of these symptoms.” While the side effects are not life-threatening, they can be extremely distressing, and illustrate the importance of slowly introducing cannabinoids into the system at low doses.

The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) recommends beginner doses of one inhalation (vape, blunt) or 2.5 milligrams of THC (edibles, liquids), noting that while it can take 10 minutes to feel the effects of inhaled cannabis, edibles can take up to two hours to be absorbed into the bloodstream. It’s also important to double-check labels to understand serving sizes—a single gummy or square of chocolate could contain 10 milligrams of THC, and consumers may want to cut a product in half or quarters for the recommended beginner dose.

In addition to the dose of THC, other factors can impact a consumer’s high—from their metabolism and how full their stomach is to the product’s cannabinoid and terpene profile, alcohol or other substances consumed at the same time, and the user’s current mood.

Cannabis effects can last minutes up to several hours, and the MCA recommends making an alternate plan for transportation—or waiting at least six hours to drive. Driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal and can result in a DUI.

While possession of cannabis is legal in Maryland, it remains a Schedule I drug federally, meaning it’s illegal to cross state lines with any form of cannabis, even if moving between two legal states. Additionally, cannabis can only be consumed on private property at the discretion of the property owner—meaning that renters should check policies before lighting up. And employers in the state may have their own drug-use policies and could fire employees who do not follow them.

By following the laws, learning about cannabis before lighting up, and starting slow, consumers can enjoy the product safely, Barrett-Nutting says.

“A little education and time will go a long way to having a great experience.”

LOOKING FOR A DISPENSARY NEAR YOU?

Here is our guide to outlets in the Baltimore region (licensed by the Maryland Cannabis Administration as of July 1, 2023):

REMEDY
8865 Stanford Blvd., #131
Columbia, MD 21045

COOKIES BALTIMORE
35 E. Cross St.
Baltimore, MD 21230

GREENHOUSE WELLNESS
4801 Dorsey Hall Dr., Ste. 110
Ellicott City, MD 21042

NATURE’S CARE & WELLNESS, LLC
4925 Pulaski Hwy., Ste. A
Perryville, MD 21903

GREEN GOODS BALTIMORE
717 North Point Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 2122

TEMESCAL WELLNESS OF MARYLAND, LLC
1636 Reisterstown Rd.
Pikesville, MD 21208

PURE LIFE MEDICAL, INC.
35 E. Cross St.
Baltimore, MD 21230

ZEN LEAF ELKRIDGE
6000 Marshalee Dr.
Elkridge, MD 21075

MEDICAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
3317 Keswick Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21211

PHARMKENT, LLC
330 East Pulaski Highway, Ste. B
Elkton, MD 21921

CURALEAF
11722 Reisterstown Rd.
Reisterstown, MD 21136

TRILOGY WELLNESS OF MARYLAND
9291 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042

STARBUDS
5975 Belair Rd.
Baltimore, MD 2120

FAR & DOTTER
2060-A York Rd.
Timonium, MD 21093

CURALEAF COLUMBIA, LLC
7090 Deepage Dr.
Columbia, MD 21045

TRULIEVE
1526 York Rd.
Timonium, MD 21093

RELEAF SHOP
1114 Cathedral St., #5
Baltimore, MD 21201

CULTA, LLC
215 Key Hwy.
Baltimore, MD 21230

RISE JOPPA
702 Pulaski Hwy.
Joppa, MD 21085

ZEN LEAF TOWSON
101 E Chesapeake Ave., #102
Towson, MD 21286

MANA SUPPLY CO. MIDDLE RIVER
100 Carroll Island Rd.
Middle River, MD 21220

TRULIEVE
3531 Washington Blvd., #112
Halethorpe, MD 21227

BLAIR WELLNESS CENTER, LLC
5806 York Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21212

TRUE WELLNESS ABERDEEN
226 S. Philadelphia Ave.
Aberdeen, MD 21206

CHESACANNA
10534 York Rd.
Cockeysville, MD 21030

GREENLABS
1522 Eastern Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21231

STOREHOUSE
5730 Falls Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21209

KIP
9 Cranbrook Rd.
Cockeysville, MD 21030

NATURES MEDICINES
10169 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042

HEALTH FOR LIFE BALTIMORE
6807 Rolling Mill Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21224

HEALTH FOR LIFE WHITE MARSH
4741 Ridge Rd.
Nottingham, MD 2123

REMEDY 695
7175 Security Blvd., Ste. 102
Windsor Mill, MD 21244

GOLD LEAF
2029 West St.
Annapolis, MD 21401

BLUE RIDGE WELLNESS, LLC
9413 Harford Rd.
Parkville, MD 21234

MISSION HAMPDEN
3907 Falls Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21211

GREENLIGHT THERAPEUTICS
782 State Route 3 N, Ste. A
Gambrills, MD 21054

VERILIFE
700 Corporate Center Court, Ste. K
Westminster, MD 21157

ENLIGHTENED DISPENSARY
3111 Emmorton Rd.
Abingdon, MD 21009

MISSION CATONSVILLE
6328 Baltimore National Pike
Baltimore, MD 21228

NIRVANA CENTER
5225 Baltimore National Pike
Baltimore, MD 21229

RITUAL DISPENSARY
7609 Energy Parkway Ste. 901
Curtis Bay, MD 21225

THE DISPENSARY
330 140 Village Rd., Ste. 7
Westminster, MD 21157

DR. DOTS DISPENSARY
805 N. Howard St.
Baltimore, MD 21201

PANACEA WELLNESS
2061 Generals Hwy.
Annapolis, MD 21401

SLS BALTIMORE CANNABIS DISPENSARY
34 S. Calvert St.
Baltimore, MD 21202