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County says state controls dispensary siting as residents ask about future locations
Summary
A resident worried a closing bank site might become a dispensary; county planning staff said the state issues dispensary licenses and that the county had been issued three additional standard licenses, with some candidate sites rumored but not confirmed.
During public comment, resident Ben Eversole asked whether the county could prevent dispensaries near Morganville after a local bank announced it was closing. County planning staff replied that state law governs cannabis licensing and that the county had been "issued 3 additional standard dispensary licenses in addition to the one that exists" in the county. Staff cautioned that companies seeking sites have been "very tight lipped" about locations, though they noted one likely candidate "the old family diner out on Valley Mall Drive" and referenced rumors of interest on Sharpsburg Pike and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Planning staff said the county can regulate certain location aspects (for example, setbacks) but not the state's licensing decisions: "At this point, the state of Maryland has usurped a bit of our authority in dealing with the cannabis industry itself," one staff member said. Commissioners and staff emphasized they would follow state guidelines and that some local controls remain limited to land-use rules already in place. No formal applications or license decisions were recorded at the meeting; staff said they would monitor any specific proposals that come forward.
