Medical Marijuana and the Weeds of Cronyism

Good Day to all my PGC Blog People:

I’ve been gone a while but I’m back. I’m not going to try and cover too much in this post. I’ll talk about what it’s like have someone you love get sick in Prince George’s County later. Wooo. Keep praying for ya girl ya hear.

Medical Marijuana

There are currently 210 issued licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries in Maryland by the Maryland Cannabis Commission. The majority (118) of the licenses were given to white owned companies, some of whom are allegedly connected to some who reviewed the applications. Now I’m receiving copies of emails from Maryland citizens that want the legislation proposed to address a not-so-level playing field to be fixed. A Maryland bill, HB2, Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Cannabis Commission Reform Act, seeks to require “the Commission to evaluate a study of the industry relating to minority and women applicants and minority and women-owned business participation in the industry; authorizing the Commission to report to the General Assembly information pertaining to remedial measures…” Basically it’s a bill to open up this multi-billion dollar industry to fair practice in Maryland. But here’s the thing, the emails I’ve received allege that Maryland’s Black Congressional Caucus isn’t doing anything to address licensing disparities masked by “vertical integration” language in the HB2 bill.

The email was sent to State Senator Thomas Middleton, Delegate Erek Barron (he’s a good guy I think, need to holla at him about this), Del. Darryl Barnes, Del. Tony Knotts and everyone else in the PGCo delegation and those on committees that will have hearings on this bill. A 2016 lawsuit lodged by Alternative Medicine Maryland claimed that the law requiring regulators to seek racial diversity was ignored, and I believe it was. It was reported by the Baltimore Sun and The Daily Record on Feb. 15th that the lawsuit had been settled with undisclosed terms. Everyone who’s doing good business deserves a chance to make money, not just the chosen few. Some of these license awardees are NOT doing good business. I present to you Kind Therapeutics, a medical marijuana growing and processing operation located in Washington County AND current applicant for a dispensary near Annapolis. Kind Therapeutics is “partially” owned by Dr. Susan Zimmerman. She’s married to and in business with her husband, Dr. William Thamm, a doctor currently being sued by Anne Arundel County for over prescribing opioids. Susan isn’t named in the lawsuit but come on people. She sure should be.

Cronyism

What I don’t like about Maryland and Prince George’s County is that there’s too much cronyism. On the up, I expect some. Shoot, I’d like to be on the receiving end of some of that favor, but not to the detriment of the state and the county. People and politics here is way-cray-cray-cliqueish. I remember meeting a woman who’s now running for office in PGCo about 5 years ago when I first started blogging. Darryl Barnes introduced me to her. This heffa, I mean this woman turned her nose up at me then turned away. Y’all can vote for her. She’s another land-locked politician that I cannot support. She will be MORE OF THE SAME. Another problem is the PGCo School Board and our state delegation. Del. Dereck Davis (Dist 25), Chair of the Economic Matters Committee is also the husband of Deputy Superintendent Dr. Monique Davis. While there’s nothing wrong with a couple being salaried public servants, there’s a lot wrong when those salaries become donations to school board members who have dealings with the Deputy Superintendent. “Then there are checks connected to the husband of Deputy Schools Superintendent Monique Davis and given to another school board member, Sonya Williams. They include a $3,000 check from Davis for Congress and two more checks totaling $4,000 from Friends of Derek Davis.”-WUSA9. And WOOWEE, my blogging fam over at pgcps mess goes slam IN on the Davis’ alleged corruptions. Even the whistleblower in chief, school board member Edward Burroughs III has ties, I think, to Governor Larry Hogan and we know that Hogan hates Prince George’s County.  There’s more. Much more. But like I said, I’m keeping this post short; I just want to post a quality post and feel like somebody again.

Word Is…

Milk & Honey Cafe is opening a location in Bowie, MD at the Fairwood Plaza in Summer of 2018, according to their Instagram account. Yay!

I asked an account supervisor with the Woodmore Town Center if Silver Diner is coming and the person’s reply was, “We do not have a comment on that at this time.” Keep your hopes up because that was NOT a no.

Saturday, March 31st will be the first annual Bowie Arts Committee Spring Arts & Crafts Market, from 9am-2pm at the Bowie Center for Performing Arts on Annapolis Rd. See the flyer below. I think I just needed to have something in this post that looks like Spring since the weather has a disrespectful attitude right now.