Maryland state regulators have taken a medical marijuana grower’s products off the market, prompting questions — but few answers — from dispensaries, patients and other industry players.
The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission issued an “administrative hold” on all products using marijuana grown by ForwardGro, which operates a large greenhouse in Lothian, in Anne Arundel County.
The hold, communicated to the state’s 69 dispensaries on Oct. 7, was described as a “precautionary measure.” The commission ordered sellers to “quarantine” ForwardGro products, adding: “Follow up instructions will be forthcoming in the future.”
Three weeks later, patients and caregivers remain in the dark about what sort of hazard the fledgling regulatory agency might be trying to guard against.
The commission’s action comes after complaints this summer by former ForwardGro employees that the business was illegally using pesticides on its crops. The company has denied the allegations.