Delegate CT Wilson, House Economic Matters Chair and architect of the legislation, was the morning keynote. Before a packed house of 136 municipal officials and staff from over 60 different jurisdictions, Wilson set the stage: “You hippies voted for it, so we legalized cannabis.”  

 It was a friendly reminder for everyone that legalization came via a ballot initiative and that the State is only moving forward. The Chairman also stressed that feedback was still necessary, and that the General Assembly will be taking an omnibus approach to legislative tweaks.  

 Panels featuring municipal attorneys, administrators, and consultants covered how to navigate challenges surrounding local land use policies and cannabis in the workplace throughout the day.  

 Industry leaders also had the opportunity to share the economic benefits of welcoming a dispensary, processor, or grower into their community, citing the number of jobs created, competitive wages, and restoration of otherwise vacant properties in addition to any revenues collected from the sales and use tax.  

Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins, Chair of the largest Legislative Black Caucus in the nation and Vice-Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee was joined by Laurel Councilmember Martin Mitchell and MML CEO Theresa Kuhns to talk about the social equity components of the bill. Wilkins shared that the equity piece of the puzzle was intentional and needs collaboration between state and locals.  

When asked about how municipalities can help, Vice-Chair Wilkins highlighted the Cannabis Business Assistance Fund, which was created in the law to provide grants and loans for small businesses, including small, minority-owned and small women-owned businesses entering the adult-use cannabis industry, and encouraged officials to share such opportunities with their community.