Gov. Moore Launches Cannabis Workforce Development Program
Governor Wes Moore (D) announced the newly-launched Cannabis Workforce Development Program on June 27, another effort by his gubernatorial administration to implement cannabis legalization while including Marylanders who were left behind. This program is the first workforce development initiative by a cannabis regulatory agency, and comes on the heels of his pardons of over 175,000 Marylanders for cannabis-related offenses.
“This groundbreaking collaboration will support Marylanders interested in joining the state’s growing cannabis industry and prioritize individuals and communities directly impacted by the War on Drugs,” said Moore. “For decades, cannabis policy has been used as a cudgel. Together, we prove how cannabis policy can be used as a valuable tool to leave no one behind.”
Program participants will have access to eight instructor-led, self-paced courses taught by industry experts, licensed operators, and college professors. Upon completion of 100 cumulative hours of virtual coursework and instruction, participants may enroll in a two-day intensive in-person course that provides 16 hours of hands-on occupational training. In-person training will be offered once per month beginning in November 2024 at locations across the state.
The first rollout of this program will begin in the Baltimore region in November, and the Prince George’s rollout will happen in February of next year.
According to data collected by the Office of the Comptroller, Maryland collected nearly $15 million in tax revenue from legal cannabis in the first three months of the year. Tax collections from cannabis sales in the Capital region, which includes both Prince George’s and Montgomery, remained at similar levels to the previous quarter. One growing industry within Maryland’s cannabis economy is tourism, a market estimated at $17 billion nationally by Forbes.
“Maryland is leading on cannabis reform and reinforcing that legalization must be accompanied by efforts to address the burdens of criminalization,” said Maryland Cannabis Administration Director Will Tilburg. “Through this program, individuals adversely impacted by cannabis criminalization will be able to receive real-time, hands-on experience and access to job placement.”
For more information about the program, visit cannabis.maryland.gov.
County Council Finalizes Rent Stabilization, Gun Safety Bills
The Prince George’s County Council unanimously approved a preliminary rent stabilization plan on June 18 that is set for final approval next month. The stabilization plan will cap rent increases for multifamily housing built before 2000 at 3% plus the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a maximum of 6%.
Single-family homes and any type of housing built after January 1, 2000, will be exempt from the proposed rent cap. Rent stabilization was originally signed into law following the February 2023 passage of a bill introduced by Councilmember Krystal Oriadha (D- District 7).
“I just want to thank my colleagues,” said Oriadha after the passage of the bill. “This has been two years and change in the making. I know it’s been a rough ride, lots of varying opinions. But I’m proud that we’re passing permanent stabilization.”
Another bill introduced by Oriadha passed on June 18 requires gun ranges and stores to display pamphlets with information on gun safety. Her bill was named after Grant Colefield, a young man who died by suicide at a gun range in 2019, and his family spoke in favor of the bill during testimony.
Ivey, Adams Vie for Council At-Large Seat
Following the resignation of former Prince George’s County Councilmember Mel Franklin in early June, nine candidates, including Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D) and Bowie Mayor Tim Adams, are vying for the vacant seat.
Ivey was first to announce her campaign on June 26.
“I’d like to be able to address more of our challenges holistically, for the entire County. Each Councilmember has important skill-sets. The At-Large members should have the big picture in mind for the County,” she said in an exclusive interview with The Informer. “As a former chair of the Prince George’s House Delegation in Annapolis, I’ve had that experience, and now as chair of the Council, I am well positioned to have a greater role in guiding the county forward.”
Councilmember Wala Blegay (D-District 6) initially announced for the seat, but dropped out to endorse Adams following his July 3 campaign announcement.
“I have an ability to bring people together,” said Adams just before filing at the Prince George’s County Board of Elections. “My priorities are to look out for our seniors, make sure they have quality and affordable housing, and we need to make sure we have economic opportunity.”
South County advocate Tamara Davis-Brown and former congressional candidate Gabriel Njinimbot both filed their candidacies before July 4.
Delegate Marvin Holmes (D- District 23), former Board of Education Chair Judy Mickens-Murray, former Delegate Angela Angel, former County Council candidate Leo Eyombo, and Bowie resident Kiesha D. Lewis all filed on the July 5 deadline.
County Clerk of Court Mahasin El-Amin held a campaign event to announce her candidacy that was attended by State Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, but dropped out on the July 5 deadline while stating that she wished to “heal and unify” party divisions in the county.
Ivey has been endorsed by over 50 elected officials, including former County Executive Rushern Baker, County Council Vice Chair Sydney Harrison (D- District 9), Delegate Jazz Lewis (D- District 24), and North Brentwood Mayor Petrella Robinson. She has served as both a Delegate and county councilmember, offering her a unique grasp of how each level of government works in tandem.
In 2006, she won a seat in the House of Delegates and she served as a delegate for the 2008 presidential election of Barack Obama. By 2012, Ivey was the chair of the Prince George’s County House Delegation.
In 2014, she ran on a ticket alongside then-attorney general Doug Gansler, but lost in the primary to current Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. She ran for the County Council in 2018 and is currently serving as chair while pursuing the At-Large seat.
Her husband, U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey, has represented Maryland’s 4th Congressional district since 2023.
“We need to ensure the safety of our communities. People need to feel safe, and they need to be safe,” she said about her biggest priorities on the Council currently.
Ivey said he has a solution that has proven successful in other major locales.
“Working with law enforcement and in partnership with social service experts, we can identify the people most at risk for taking part in threatening community safety and help them get services that make them less likely to commit crimes,” she told The Informer. “This approach has worked in Boston, and it can work here.”
One of the biggest accomplishments she cites during her current term is closing the county’s $171 million budget shortfall while providing funding to hire new police officers and firefighters, without raising property taxes. Given Prince George’s budget crunch, there is a renewed focus on opening new businesses and increasing housing development to ensure needed services for the county’s foreseeable future.
“Our permitting department has new, yet experienced, leadership and they are taking a hard look at how to streamline permitting,” she said. “I look forward to learning their plans, since getting permits is a critical part of opening a business and developing much-needed housing.”
Ivey also wants to work with the county’s Annapolis delegation to apply for more grants, to bring home the most resources possible for Prince George’s and its 27 municipalities.
Baker shared why he is endorsing the current council chair.
“Jolene Ivey has been an incredible chair of the County Council,” said the former county executive. “She’s the best candidate for Council at Large and I’m proud to endorse her.”
Blegay shared why she is supporting the Bowie Mayor.
“Mayor Tim Adams is a successful business owner who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to quality development, supporting our seniors, and fostering the growth of small businesses,” said Blegay’s campaign in a statement after she dropped from the race. “His vision and dedication align perfectly with the values and priorities that we hold dear in our Prince George’s County community.”
Early voting will begin July 31 and end Aug. 5. Ballots will be mailed on July 23 and 39 drop box locations will be available throughout the county to return the completed forms. Each Council district will have one open site for the Aug. 6 election.