HOGAN SAYS NO TO MORE METRO FUNDING: Contrary to the public display of goodwill for the media after a closed-door meeting last week, the region’s top three elected officials clashed sharply over Metro funding, with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) saying the transit agency would get no additional money from his state, reports Robert McCartney for the Post. The lack of agreement among the leaders over how to meet Metro’s financial needs makes it increasingly unlikely the region will come up with the additional money that General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld says is necessary by next July to keep the system safe and reliable.
MARYLAND’s RX POT ENTREPRENEURS: After years of delays, lawsuits and other controversy, 14 firms in Maryland are now growing or poised to grow legal medical marijuana, firing up the supply chain for a market that’s expected to reach a quarter billion dollars annually. The entrepreneurs who were awarded the lucrative licenses to produce the plant have largely stayed out of the limelight as they built multimillion-dollar facilities, fended off legal challenges and raced to get growing before lawmakers could authorize more licenses. Erin Cox of the Sun takes a closer look at these businesses, offering profiles of each.
RX POT ADVOCATES: As the state is set to launch its medical marijuana industry, Fenit Nirappil and Aaron Gregg of the Post interview the businesses and the parents who have been advocating for it for years. Nearly 13,000 patients have signed up to be able to purchase marijuana, and 428 health-care providers have registered to certify the patients’ need for the drug, according to the commission. But hurdles remain.
