CHEVY CHASE, Md. — A medical marijuana dispensary is coming to Chevy Chase, Maryland. The dispensary is part of Columbia Care, one of the nation's largest providers of medical cannabis.
"The dispensary offers local patients the industry's first and only credit card for medical cannabis, enabling them to make safe purchases via credit," a press release said. "They can also explore a selection of over 100 high-quality medical cannabis products and full spectrum CBD health and wellness products."
Nicholas Vita, CEO and co-founder of Columbia Care, has pledged to take 100 million doses of opioids off the market, "by leading a nationwide effort to gather the largest data set on how precisely-formulated medical cannabis can be a safe and effective alternative to reduce opioid use for pain."
The Chevy Chase opening comes after Columbia Care's acquisition of The Green Solution, a Colorado cannabis chain. This opening expands Columbia Care's footprint to 74 dispensaries in 13 different states -- including D.C. and Puerto Rico -- as well as 19 "cultivation and manufacturing facilities," the press release said.
Over 1.4 million transactions have been made at its locations since 2015 .
In March, Maryland law allowed for a business entity or person to own only one dispensary in the state. However, a legislative loophole allows third-party businesses to operate as many dispensaries as they want to, on the behalf of a dispensary licensee, through management agreements.
State Senator Chris West, R-Baltimore County, put forth a proposal earlier this year that could potentially discourage such agreements by offering entrepreneurs another way to conduct their business. West's bill, SB0426, would make it legal for a person to own up to five dispensaries in the state of Maryland, instead of only one. West told the Maryland Senate Judiciary Proceeding Committee in late February that his proposal would be more cost effective for business owners and customers alike.