MEDICAL MARIJUANA DELAYS: Maryland’s state medical marijuana commission delivered a blow to marijuana advocates and would-be entrepreneurs last week by abruptly capping the number of businesses that can process marijuana into pills, oils and other products, Aaron Gregg and Fenit Nirappil report in the Post. The commission also gave conflicting information about when the first long-awaited growing licenses would be issued, first saying it would be late summer or early fall, then stating that licenses would come “weeks” after the evaluations of the applications are completed in early July.
HOME-GAMBLING ALLOWED: A busted mah-jongg game at a retirement village eventually led to Gov. Larry Hogan signing a bill to legalize some home poker games. The bill came with many caveats. Among other restrictions, games cannot be held more than once a week, cannot be advertised, cannot involve the wagering of more than $1,000 in a 24-hour period and cannot involve “use of an electronic device that connects to the Internet,” Justin Moyer writes in the Post.
McMILLAN BILLS IGNORED: Amanda Yeager of the Annapolis Capital reports that Gov. Larry Hogan has given his approval this year to more than 600 bills, on topics large and small. None of these measures had Del. Herb McMillan, R-Annapolis, as a primary sponsor. McMillan, who publicly challenged some of the initiatives the Republican governor supported during this legislative session, is the only Anne Arundel County delegation member who hasn’t seen a bill he shepherded through the General Assembly signed by Hogan.
http://marylandreporter.com/2016/05/23/state-roundup-may-23-2016/