WASHINGTON — Maryland will stand up the first fully legal recreational marijuana market in the DMV on Saturday. You can't sell it in Virginia and D.C. relies on the "gifting" work around.
But when the sales start in Maryland, some worry about who could be left behind.
Here is what's in the new law.
Anyone 21 and older will be able to legally buy and use recreational marijuana.
A person can have 1.5 ounces of flower or 12 grams of concentrated cannabis at a time - beyond that there are still civil penalties and even criminal charges for possessing too much.
Smoking at home or a friend's house is fine, but not in parks, bars, public transit, or on streets and sidewalks.
Homeowners can grow up to two marijuana plants. Renters will need the landlord's permission.
And medical dispensaries will be the first to sell it. And that, for some, is where the criticism starts.
"I think this is not necessarily a case of total racism, though it is, it's about creating fair market opportunity," said Ron Owens, who advocates for equity in the cannabis industry. He says lawmakers missed an opportunity to open up the billion-dollar business to minority entrepreneurs.
Lawmakers agreed that more minorities should be participating and set up an office of social equity to award minority licenses.
But those applications are months away.
By then, Owens says the mostly white-owned medical dispensaries will have an insurmountable advantage.
"Those products hit the market first, giving them a larger share of revenue dollars and commitment to those dollars that could transform communities," Owens said.
Police departments are also worried about legal recreational use. They say based on stats from other states, there will be more impaired driving.
Wednesday, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is expected to lay out his plans for dealing with what he sees as potential issues with the new law.