Read more about the article Talbot County Announces First Round of CRRF Investments
Cannabis / Health and Human Services
Talbot County Announces First Round of CRRF Investments

Talbot County has awarded $200,000 to 10 projects through its inaugural Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) grant cycle. As previously covered by MACo, the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund was established as part of Maryland’s Cannabis Reform Act of 2023, following voter approval of adult-use cannabis legalization in 2022. The Fund is intended to address the long-term effects of disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition. State law directs CRRF resources toward community-based organizations and initiatives…

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October 8, 2026
Read more about the article Deep Dive: Cannabis and the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, Part One
Cannabis / County News / Health and Human Services / Policy Deep Dive
Deep Dive: Cannabis and the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, Part One

Since Maryland’s adult-use cannabis market launched in July 2023, cannabis tax revenue has become a growing source of funding for state priorities. Among the most significant investments under the state law is the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), which directs a portion of cannabis revenue to communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of past cannabis laws. For counties, the CRRF represents a new and evolving source of State funding channeled through local governments, but…

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October 1, 2026
Read more about the article Reinvesting Cannabis Revenue in Maryland Communities
Business Affairs / Cannabis / County News / Health and Human Services / Summer Conference
Reinvesting Cannabis Revenue in Maryland Communities

As Maryland continues implementing the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), counties are seeking timely updates and answers to questions about the fund’s regulations, eligible uses, and how the resources can support local communities. During the 2026 MACo Summer Conference session, “Reinvesting in Maryland: Cannabis Revenue, Community Repair, and Economic Opportunity,” Senator Antonio Hayes moderated a discussion on updates on the implementation of the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), including the development of regulations,…

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August 20, 2026
Read more about the article Reinvesting in Maryland: Cannabis Revenue, Community Repair, and Economic Opportunity at #MACoCon
Cannabis / Health and Human Services / Summer Conference
Reinvesting in Maryland: Cannabis Revenue, Community Repair, and Economic Opportunity at #MACoCon

The release of new Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund regulations gives counties greater clarity on how these resources can support communities in Maryland. Since the legalization of adult-use cannabis, Maryland has shifted from building a regulatory framework to determining how cannabis-generated revenue can create lasting benefits for communities. Through the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) and the work of the Maryland Department of Social and Economic Mobility's Office of Social Equity, the state is…

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August 3, 2026
Read more about the article MD Released Proposed Emergency Regs for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund
Cannabis / County News / Health and Human Services / Summer Conference
MD Released Proposed Emergency Regs for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund

Proposed emergency regulations for Maryland's Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund offer counties long-awaited guidance on how cannabis tax revenue can support local priorities. The Maryland Department of Social and Economic Mobility (DoSEM), through its Office of Social Equity (OSE), has released proposed emergency regulations for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), providing counties with additional guidance for how cannabis tax revenue can be used to support local priorities. Created under the Cannabis Reform Act…

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June 30, 2026
Read more about the article State Collects $26.2M in Quarterly Cannabis Taxes, Locals Receive $342K
Cannabis / County Budgets / County News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
State Collects $26.2M in Quarterly Cannabis Taxes, Locals Receive $342K

Maryland collected more than $26.2 million in cannabis sales tax revenue during the first quarter of 2026. Local governments received $341,990. That amount represents the entire local government share of Maryland’s cannabis tax distribution. Counties initially receive those funds, but State law requires them to distribute 50% of the allocation to municipalities that host cannabis dispensaries that generate the revenue. As a result, counties retain less than the already modest local share. The State imposes…

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June 17, 2026
Read more about the article DOJ Moves to Loosen Cannabis Restrictions, Signals Shift Toward Rescheduling
Cannabis / Health and Human Services / Planning and Zoning / Taxes and Revenues
DOJ Moves to Loosen Cannabis Restrictions, Signals Shift Toward Rescheduling

The US Department of Justice announced a significant shift in federal cannabis policy, moving to loosen restrictions on certain cannabis products while advancing a broader effort to reclassify the drug under federal law. The action does not legalize cannabis nationwide. But it marks one of the most consequential federal moves in decades. It could reshape how the industry operates, particularly in states like Maryland that already allow medical and adult-use sales. As previously covered on…

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April 24, 2026
Read more about the article Q2 Cannabis Revenues Top $18M, Counties Get Less Than $430K
Source: Comptroller of Maryland
Cannabis / Taxes and Revenues
Q2 Cannabis Revenues Top $18M, Counties Get Less Than $430K

Adult-use cannabis sales in Maryland generated more than $18 million in tax revenue during the second quarter of 2025. Yet counties, which shoulder the brunt of zoning, public safety, and health responsibilities tied to cannabis businesses, saw only a fraction of those dollars flow back into local budgets. Maryland taxes adult-use cannabis at 9%, rising to 12% on July 1 under legislation passed during the 2025 General Assembly session. But only a small share —…

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September 8, 2025
Read more about the article #MACoCon Recap: Balancing Public Safety and Employee Rights in the Cannabis Era
Cannabis / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / Summer Conference
#MACoCon Recap: Balancing Public Safety and Employee Rights in the Cannabis Era

Since the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Maryland, the conversation around workplace policies has only intensified, especially for public sector employers managing safety-sensitive roles. At MACo’s Summer Conference, a panel of human resources, legal, labor, and public safety leaders unpacked the complex and often conflicting forces shaping local government policy in this evolving space. Tom Coe, Fire Chief for Frederick County’s Division of Fire and Rescue Services, opened with a reality check on what cannabis…

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August 20, 2025
Read more about the article Up in Smoke? Balancing Public Safety and Employee Rights in the Cannabis Era 
Cannabis / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / Labor / Summer Conference
Up in Smoke? Balancing Public Safety and Employee Rights in the Cannabis Era 

As legal cannabis use becomes more common, local governments are caught navigating evolving workplace rights and public safety responsibilities. With no clear test for impairment and increasing legislative pressure, counties must find a path forward that protects both their workforce and their communities. Since Maryland voters approved adult-use cannabis legalization in 2022 and retail sales launched in 2023, the implications for employers, especially public sector employers, have rapidly evolved. While cannabis use is now legal…

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August 4, 2025
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