text: Four years later, medical cannabis cultivation begins in Maryland - Cannabis News Box
  Four years later, medical cannabis cultivation begins in Maryland
  Four years after the legalization of medical cannabis in Maryland, at least two of the dozen approved cultivators began growing medical cannabis this week.
  After regulatory delays and lawsuits related to the program were resolved, two licensed cultivators began growing cannabis plants under the state's newly-approved seed-to-sale market.
  Only one dispensary is allowed to stock their shelves with cannabis, but the rest of the state's 100 applicants are still awaiting final approval. Dispensaries are struggling to find landlords willing to lease to cannabis-related businesses, but they have until December to find a suitable location, staff and undergo state inspections.
  Thirteen thousand patients signed up to receive access to the medical cannabis program while 428 medical providers registered to certify patients' need for the it.
  Philip Goldberg, Chief Executive of Green Leaf Medical Center and one of Maryland's only currently operating grows, said he had spent $2,000 in seed money and raised $8.7 million in investment so far.
  Goldberg said he will start producing 320 pounds of medical cannabis a month providing 23 dispensaries with product by 2018.