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Maryland Cannabis Administration

Maryland Cannabis Administration with Maryland Economic Development Corporation Open Application for Site Solicitation for Maryland Cannabis Incubator

News Release |

Linthicum, MD - The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) in partnership with the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) are pleased to announce that applications are open to solicit publicly and privately owned sites to develop the Maryland Cannabis Incubator Project. The project will be the first-in-the-nation, State-run cannabis incubator program exclusively for social equity licenses and micro-businesses.  

Alcoholic Beverages & Cannabis Article § 36-406 authorizes MCA to work with MEDCO to acquire and construct the nation’s first state-run cannabis incubator facility. This statute requires that the State of Maryland own the incubator facility, and therefore leasing sites would not be permitted under current law. 

The incubator will support micro licensees, which include the new subset of licenses issued under the most recent social equity license round, both for micro processors and micro dispensaries. This will not include cannabis growing businesses (micro growers).  

MEDCO is asking Maryland County and City partners to help identify private-, county-, municipality-, or State-owned sites that may be converted for use as an incubator space. Ideally, proposed sites should be underutilized commercial and retail properties, such as enclosed malls, big box stores, and warehouse spaces. Priority will be given to sites that are 30,000 square feet or less and have a commercial kitchen and loading dock. As part of the application requirement, applicants must agree to assist MEDCO and MCA in facilitating community engagement related to the development and use of the site as a cannabis incubator site. 

The application deadline is November 6, 2025. Requests for applications and questions regarding the submission process should be directed to Sarah Horta, [email protected]. 

Micro dispensaries would use an incubator facility as secured storage for products prior to delivery, while micro processors would be able to utilize a shared commercial kitchen and other shared equipment to process cannabis biomass or distillate and transform it into usable cannabis products including vapes, edible, etc. There will be no cannabis retail sales located on this site. 

Chapter 254/255 - PDF of 2023 authorizes the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) to issue standard and micro grower, processor, and dispensary licenses, as well as incubator space licenses.