CATONSVILLE, Md. — Governor Wes Moore announced Wednesday that the state of Maryland will look for a new location for a planned cannabis business incubator, following community opposition to using a former National Guard armory in Catonsville.
WATCH: State will "explore new options" for cannabis incubator after Catonsville outcry
"Upon further review of this project, I have concluded that the state should explore new options for its location," Moore said in a Wednesday morning statement.
The governor instructed state agencies "to identify locations that are not within close proximity to residential communities and schools," in contrast to the vacant state-owned building on Mellor Avenue, which is near Catonsville Elementary School, a trail, apartments and neighborhoods.
The state had been developing plans to convert the former armory into a cannabis incubator to support small businesses - "microlicensees" - in Maryland's developing cannabis industry, and to support historically disadvantaged vendors, with "resource support and programming."
READ MORE: Some in Catonsville petition against cannabis incubator, others don't mind it
"I think it's great, I give a lot of credit to the governor, Wes Moore. I think he heard a large public outcry from the community," said Tom Quirk, a former Baltimore County councilman and Catonsville business owner.
Quirk, who has been among the project's more vocal opponents, expressed concerns about the lack of community involvement in the planning process.
"I have no issue with cannabis, personally. My issue is public transparency, public engagement, public communication. None of that happened," Quirk said.
While some residents didn't mind the project and welcomed putting the empty building to use, others strongly opposed it. About 800 people signed an online petition against the cannabis incubator.
Jon Merryman, who lives not far from the site, welcomed the governor's decision.
"It's great. That means they're listening to us. We're not just whining, we're giving good reasons for it not to be here," Merryman told WMAR-2 News.
The governor said state agencies would begin the search for a new incubator site immediately, promising transparency and fairness throughout the process.
Read the governor's full statement here:
“Maryland is proud to be home to the most equitable cannabis industry in the nation. As part of our ongoing effort to promote social equity in our state’s cannabis industry, we are committed to building a first-in-the-nation cannabis incubator that will support our social equity micro-licensees. Through resource support and programming, the new facility will empower historically disadvantaged individuals and businesses to participate in the state’s burgeoning cannabis industry, which realized more than $1 billion in total sales in its first year.
“Upon further review of this project—and the selection of the Maryland National Guard William J. Witte Armory in Catonsville as the preferred site for the cannabis incubator—I have concluded that the state should explore new options for its location. I have therefore directed the three agencies at the helm of this project—the Maryland Cannabis Administration, Maryland Department of General Services, and Maryland Economic Development Corporation—to conduct a new process and explore new locations for the cannabis incubator project.
“As part of their site review, I have instructed the agencies to identify locations that are not within close proximity to residential communities and schools. The agencies will begin this new process immediately, conduct extensive community and stakeholder engagement, and work quickly to move the project forward. The Catonsville Armory will undergo the armory surplus and disposition process that will be managed by the Department of General Services.
“Together, we will continue to write a new chapter in the story of cannabis policy in America—one grounded in equity, partnership, and economic growth. Our commitment to transparency and fairness throughout the process will serve that mission and help ensure the best outcome for the work ahead.”
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