‘Chamber of Commerce’ for Md. cannabis industry holds debut conference

As Maryland starts issuing licenses to medical marijuana businesses, the state’s professional trade association that deals with the medical cannabis industry is having its first conference and symposium for people trying to get into the industry.

“We want to make sure that we’re specific to Maryland,” said Darrell Carrington, executive director of the Maryland Cannabis Industry Association.

Carrington described the association as the “chamber of commerce” for the state’s cannabis industry. Keeping with that role, the conference, taking place on July 13 at University of Maryland, Baltimore County‘s Technology Center, is geared toward those who want to obtain licenses for cultivating and processing marijuana and for people planning on becoming patients.

The event is slated to have 80 attendees and will include updates on the Maryland cannabis program, licensing timelines and how the law applies to dentists, physicians, podiatrists and other medical professionals.

Del. Dan Morhaim, D-Baltimore County, who is also a medical doctor, will talk about the history of medical marijuana legislation in the state. Dr. Maneesh Sharma, an anesthesiologist at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital and a pain management specialist, will talk about using marijuana to treat chronic pain. Dr. Kimberly Brown, who practices family medicine, will give a tour of her cannabis lab as part of a workshop on testing and compliance.

The event is sponsored by Women Grow, which helps women get into the marijuana business, and Offit Kurman, a mid-Atlantic firm that recently started a cannabis law practice.

MDCIA did an event last year geared more toward physicians before applications were due.

“We plan to continue our physicians outreach,” said Phil Goldberg, president-elect of the association. “This is the first really industry-focused (event).”

The association plans to make this an annual event, said Goldberg, who is applying for a license to cultivate and process medical cannabis through his company, Green Leaf Medical, LLC. Goldberg and the MDCIA have been lobbying and testifying before the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission on business-related concerns, including the issue of limits on how much marijuana a patient can get each month, said Goldberg.

“It’s taken a long time to get where we are,” he said. “The result of that is we have the best medical program for cannabis in the whole country.”