US State

Cannabis and hemp laws

Maryland

Recreational and medical marijuana legal; THCA, delta-8, delta-10 and HHC illegal; hemp delta-9 restricted

Adult use
Legal
Medical
Legal
Last reviewed
May 27, 2026

Maryland

Cannabinoid status board

All states and compounds

Delta-10 THC

Illegal

Limits

Intoxicating hemp including delta-10 restricted to MCA-licensed dispensaries. Outside dispensaries: 0.5 mg THC per serving and 2.5 mg per package, with a tincture carve-out of up to 100 mg THC per bottle at a 15:1 or greater CBD:THC ratio.

Key law

Md. Code Ann., Alc. Bev. Title 36 (Cannabis Reform Act, HB 556 / SB 516, 2023, Ch. 254/255); Moore v. Maryland Hemp Coalition, No. 1590, Sept. Term 2023 (Md. App. Ct. Sept. 9, 2025); SB 214 / HB 12 (2025, Ch. 58/57)

Effective

July 1, 2023

Full rules

Delta-8 THC

Illegal

Limits

Intoxicating hemp including delta-8 restricted to MCA-licensed dispensaries. Outside dispensaries: 0.5 mg THC per serving and 2.5 mg per package, with a tincture carve-out of 100 mg THC per bottle at a 15:1 or greater CBD:THC ratio.

Key law

Md. Code Ann., Alc. Bev. Title 36 (Cannabis Reform Act, HB 556 / SB 516, 2023, Ch. 254/255); Moore v. Maryland Hemp Coalition, No. 1590, Sept. Term 2023 (Md. App. Ct. Sept. 9, 2025); SB 214 / HB 12 (2025, Ch. 58/57)

Effective

July 1, 2023

Full rules

Delta-9 THC

Restricted

Limits

Outside dispensaries: 0.5 mg THC per serving and 2.5 mg per package, with a tincture carve-out of up to 100 mg THC per bottle at a 15:1 or greater CBD:THC ratio. Anything above those thresholds is an intoxicating cannabis product and must be sold through an MCA-licensed dispensary.

Key law

Md. Code Ann., Alc. Bev. Title 36 (Cannabis Reform Act, HB 556 / SB 516, 2023, Ch. 254/255); Moore v. Maryland Hemp Coalition, No. 1590, Sept. Term 2023 (Md. App. Ct. Sept. 9, 2025); SB 214 / HB 12 (2025, Ch. 58/57)

Effective

July 1, 2023

Full rules

HHC

Illegal

Limits

Intoxicating hemp including HHC restricted to MCA-licensed dispensaries. Outside dispensaries: 0.5 mg THC per serving and 2.5 mg per package, with a tincture carve-out of up to 100 mg THC per bottle at a 15:1 or greater CBD:THC ratio.

Key law

Md. Code Ann., Alc. Bev. Title 36 (Cannabis Reform Act, HB 556 / SB 516, 2023, Ch. 254/255); Moore v. Maryland Hemp Coalition, No. 1590, Sept. Term 2023 (Md. App. Ct. Sept. 9, 2025); SB 214 / HB 12 (2025, Ch. 58/57)

Effective

July 1, 2023

Full rules

THCA

Illegal

Limits

Hemp products with intoxicating THC restricted to MCA-licensed dispensaries. Outside dispensaries: 0.5 mg THC per serving and 2.5 mg per package, with a tincture carve-out of 100 mg THC per bottle at a 15:1 or greater CBD:THC ratio.

Key law

Md. Code Ann., Alc. Bev. Title 36 (Cannabis Reform Act, HB 556 / SB 516, 2023, Ch. 254/255); Moore v. Maryland Hemp Coalition, No. 1590, Sept. Term 2023 (Md. App. Ct. Sept. 9, 2025); SB 214 / HB 12 (2025, Ch. 58/57)

Effective

July 1, 2023

Full rules

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Maryland

Latest news and analysis

All news

Fourth Circuit 2025: Maryland Licensing Scheme Survives—What the Ruling Means for Equity Preferences After Variscite

The Fourth Circuit in September 2025 upheld Maryland's social equity cannabis licensing scheme, splitting with the Second Circuit's Variscite residency ruling.

Maryland 2025: Appellate Court Upholds Hemp‑Derived Product Restrictions—Age‑21, Milligram Caps, and What Survives Legal Challenge

Maryland's Appellate Court in Moore v. Maryland Hemp Coalition on September 9, 2025 upheld age-21 limits, potency caps, and Cannabis Reform Act hemp rules.

The Universal Cannabis Symbol That Isn't: 2025 Packaging Icons, Maryland's New Labels, and Multi‑State Risk

Maryland's July 1, 2025 THC labeling update adds another state-specific symbol, leaving multistate brands to choose SKU splits or over-compliant packaging.

Maryland’s New Privacy Law Meets Cannabis Ecommerce: Opt‑Out Signals, Sensitive Data, and Loyalty Program Risks by Oct. 1, 2025

Maryland's Online Data Privacy Act introduces opt-out signal and sensitive-data rules that cannabis ecommerce sites must implement by October 2025.

Maryland’s Hemp Wars 2.0: Injunctions, Licensing Turf Fights, and the Fate of Delta‑8 Shops

Maryland's 2025 hemp litigation and injunctions over delta-8, delta-10, and full-spectrum CBD have reshaped which retailers may sell intoxicating hemp.

Revolutionizing Cannabis Compliance in Maryland: The Game-Changing Impact of CannabisRegulations.ai

CannabisRegulations.ai helps Maryland cannabis operators navigate state advertising, packaging, and licensing rules without costly traditional legal research.

Fourth Circuit 2025: Maryland Licensing Scheme Survives—What the Ruling Means for Equity Preferences After Variscite

The Fourth Circuit in September 2025 upheld Maryland's social equity cannabis licensing scheme, splitting with the Second Circuit's Variscite residency ruling.

Maryland 2025: Appellate Court Upholds Hemp‑Derived Product Restrictions—Age‑21, Milligram Caps, and What Survives Legal Challenge

Maryland's Appellate Court in Moore v. Maryland Hemp Coalition on September 9, 2025 upheld age-21 limits, potency caps, and Cannabis Reform Act hemp rules.

The Universal Cannabis Symbol That Isn't: 2025 Packaging Icons, Maryland's New Labels, and Multi‑State Risk

Maryland's July 1, 2025 THC labeling update adds another state-specific symbol, leaving multistate brands to choose SKU splits or over-compliant packaging.

Maryland’s New Privacy Law Meets Cannabis Ecommerce: Opt‑Out Signals, Sensitive Data, and Loyalty Program Risks by Oct. 1, 2025

Maryland's Online Data Privacy Act introduces opt-out signal and sensitive-data rules that cannabis ecommerce sites must implement by October 2025.

Maryland’s Hemp Wars 2.0: Injunctions, Licensing Turf Fights, and the Fate of Delta‑8 Shops

Maryland's 2025 hemp litigation and injunctions over delta-8, delta-10, and full-spectrum CBD have reshaped which retailers may sell intoxicating hemp.

Revolutionizing Cannabis Compliance in Maryland: The Game-Changing Impact of CannabisRegulations.ai

CannabisRegulations.ai helps Maryland cannabis operators navigate state advertising, packaging, and licensing rules without costly traditional legal research.

FAQ

Common questions

Is marijuana legal in Maryland?

Recreational marijuana is legal in Maryland. Medical marijuana is legal.

Is THCA legal in Maryland?

No. THCA flower and other intoxicating hemp products are illegal at hemp retail in Maryland.

Is delta-8 THC legal in Maryland?

No. Delta-8 THC is illegal at non-dispensary retail in Maryland. The Appellate Court of Maryland held on September 9, 2025 in Governor Wes Moore, et al. v. Maryland Hemp Coalition, et al. that intoxicating hemp products including delta-8 are now and have always been illegal outside the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) licensed dispensary system.

Is hemp-derived delta-9 THC legal in Maryland?

Restricted. Hemp-derived delta-9 THC products sold outside an MCA-licensed dispensary must stay at or below 0.5 mg of THC per serving and 2.5 mg per package, with a narrow tincture carve-out allowing 100 mg per bottle at a 15:1 or greater CBD:THC ratio.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Seed Legality

Dispensaries may sell up to 6 seeds per customer; adults may possess, share, and grow 2 plants per household.
Hemp seeds
Legal
Marijuana seeds
Legal
Sale
Restricted
Transacting
Legal
Gifting
Legal

Maryland Cannabis Administration dispensary guidance (updated Mar. 18, 2025) authorizes licensed dispensaries to sell home-cultivation products — seeds (capped at 6 per adult-use consumer), clones, and seedlings — under COMAR 14.17.18.06, while unlicensed commercial seed sales remain unlawful distribution. Adults 21+ may cultivate 2 plants per household under Md. Code, Crim. Law §5-601.2, and 'adult sharing' without remuneration is lawful under §5-601.1. Hemp seed (≤0.3% delta-9 THC) is legal to buy and possess, but cultivation requires a Maryland Department of Agriculture Hemp Farming Program license under the state's USDA-approved plan.

Key law:
Md. Code, Crim. Law §§5-601.1, 5-601.2; Md. Code, Alc. Bev. & Cannabis §36-1102; COMAR 14.17.18.06
Last reviewed:
July 3, 2026
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This section is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Seed laws change frequently — verify current law with qualified counsel before making decisions.
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