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Council committee advances cannabis zoning changes after hours of public testimony from social‑equity applicants
Summary
The PHED committee voted 4-0 to recommend CB 65 (draft 2 as amended), a package of technical changes to county cannabis zoning to align local rules with state law and ease site-selection barriers for social‑equity licensees after extensive testimony about location, signage and timing constraints.
The Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee voted unanimously to advance CB 65 (draft 2 as amended), a zoning bill intended to bring Prince George's County's cannabis rules into alignment with recent state law and to adjust signage, parking and use standards for cannabis-related businesses.
Council member Fisher, the bill sponsor, said the measure is largely technical and intended to resolve conflicts with state requirements that have delayed licensees. She told the committee the bill "is not really about whether we like cannabis… it's legal," and urged members to focus on the technical fixes needed to move businesses through the permitting process.
Public testimony filled much of the hearing. Eddie Pounds of Perry Jacobson, representing multiple social-equity license applicants, said "this bill as amended draft 2 really is about fairness, equity, and consistency with state law." Several applicants described long searches for compliant locations and high pre-opening costs. Jordan Little told the committee he has more than $600,000 in cash invested in his farm and that co‑location and zoning changes would reduce barriers; Quentin Lathan estimated an early outlay of "probably around 10 to 20,000" for a dispensary just to get started.
Park and Planning legal staff and the county planning director said the draft is intended to remove provisions that state law preempts and to avoid imposing restrictions that would be "an undue burden" on licensees. Laura Tallarico, associate general counsel for the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, said the planning board supported the bill's amendments as technical alignments rather than policy expansions.
The committee adopted a signage amendment to allow one freestanding or pole sign subject to the same placement, height and illumination restrictions applied to other retail in the same zone. After additional technical reconciliation with the zoning hearing examiner's recommendations, members voted 4-0 for a favorable recommendation.
The committee also discussed the county's Cannabis Reinvestment and Restoration fund and noted that a local board had not yet met; a council member asked staff to prioritize getting that body operational so revenue from licensed businesses can be distributed as intended. The ordinance will move to the full council with the committee's recommendation and technical amendments for final introduction and consideration.
