Maryland

Marijuana reclassification would give Maryland’s cannabis industry a major tax cut

Published

2 years ago

May 8, 2024

Marijuana reclassification would give Maryland’s cannabis industry a major tax cut

BALTIMORE — The U.S. Justice Department is moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The historical drug policy change could end up saving cannabis businesses big bucks.

Marijuana is currently classified as a “Schedule 1” drug alongside heroin and LSD, by being deemed as having a high potential for abuse.

But the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is asking to move marijuana to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids

The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs.

The reclassification would not federally legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

Reclassification would eliminate Maryland tax code

Christina Betancourt Johnson, the CEO of Standard Wellness Maryland, said the reclassification would allow more funding for medical research on cannabis and its effects on people.

There’s also a major financial impact that cannabis businesses could feel in Maryland.

The national reclassification would eliminate the Section 280E tax code, which prohibits legal cannabis companies from deducting what would otherwise be ordinary business expenses.

“You might have an effective 80 percent tax rate for every dollar earned,” Johnson said. “Whereas competitive businesses in any other industry would have a 30ish percent tax rate. So, it’s very burdensome.”

The tax code elimination would also be significant to the new cannabis businesses that are entering the state’s cannabis industry.

In March, Maryland regulators awarded adult-use marijuana social equity licenses to 174 growers, processors and dispensaries.

“This particular rescheduling effort is enormous,” Johnson said. “It will allow small business owners, particularly those who came through the social equity round, to get operational and fully reap the benefit of their hard work and their profits without that very burdensome 280E tax code.”

The latest data shows how quickly the cannabis industry is growing in Maryland since the state legalized adult marijuana use in July 2023. According to the Maryland Cannabis Administration, the state made $273 million in year-to-date cannabis market sales.

When will marijuana be reclassified?

However, the drug rescheduling process will take some time. The rescheduling proposal entered the White House Office of Management and Budget on April 30th.

Johnson said the agency then has 90 days to complete its review. But it is expected to work on an expedited timeline.

Then, the proposal goes back to the U.S. Department of Justice for a 60-day public comment period.

During that period, there will be a hearing in front of administrative law judges, who will conduct evidence to prepare a non-binding recommendation for the DEA.

If the judges approve, the DEA would publish a final order in the register. Johnson believes the process could be completed before the elections in November.

President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022.

Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.

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Maryland

Maryland confirms 5 new measles cases, bringing year’s total to 9 – WTOP News

Published

11 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Maryland confirms 5 new measles cases, bringing year’s total to 9 – WTOP News

The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”

Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.

“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.

The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.

Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.

Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.

It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.

The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.

“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.

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Maryland

Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning in October

Published

23 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning in October

Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.

This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.

This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.

“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”

In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.

Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:

Online:

Adults: $8
Senior Citizens (60+): $6
Children (ages 6-12): $4
4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only

At the door:

Adults: $10
Senior Citizens (60+): $8
Children (ages 6-12): $4
Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only

Special Offers:

Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.

The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.

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Maryland

Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’

Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.

The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.

Emily Mullen, a Pet Supplies Plus employee, holds Magnolia. Photograph: Beltsville Community Cats

“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.

Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.

A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.

“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”

Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.

Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.

Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.

According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.

Magnolia, our sweet 3.5-month-old tuxedo kitten, had quite the adventure today after being stolen from her adoption habitat at Pet Supplies Plus in Beltsville. Photograph: Beltsville Community Cats

That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”

“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”

Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.

Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.

The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.

Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.

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