Medical marijuana regulators on Thursday released a letter criticizing Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) for what they called conflicting information about whether the state should consider racial diversity when awarding licenses to prospective cannabis businesses. The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission is facing outrage from policymakers and some prospective companies because minorities lead few of the 30 businesses that the commission approved to grow and process marijuana for medical purposes. [Hogan, Frosh raise concerns over lack of diversity in medical marijuana]The state law legalizing medical marijuana in Maryland requires the commission to “actively seek to achieve” racial and ethnic diversity in the industry. Officials in the attorney general’s office said it would be possible to justify racial preferences if the commission conducted a study showing racial disparities in industries similar to medical marijuana. “The Commission is committed to seeking and promoting racial diversity and minority inclusion,” the letter said.

Source: Washington Post September 01, 2016 22:08 UTC