“The sad part was people who were targeted when there was prohibition on cannabis, those same individuals were excluded from the cannabis industry.”
By Will Hammann, Maryland Matters
When Candice Peters opened Coastal Cure Cannabis in Delmar on June 1, it was the culmination of more than two years of hard work on a decade-old dream.
And that’s a fast turnaround compared to many of her peers.
Of the 83 “social equity” licenses for dispensaries that have been distributed by the state since 2023, only 17 are currently in operation, twice the number that were open at the start of this year as more and more finally get their businesses off the ground.
In addition to the challenges faced by any wishful entrepreneur, license holders say they also struggle with unique zoning issues, limited investors and unwilling real estate partners as the still-pervasive stigma around their product hangs in the air.
“It’s been a journey,” said Peters. “And there have been a lot of long nights, and longer days trying to jump…all of these hurdles.”
Peters, a physician who had long been interested in medical use of cannabis, first sought a license after marijuana was legalized for medicinal use in
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