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Maryland’s Medical Cannabis Commission voted unanimously July 29 to reduce the cost for patients looking to access medical cannabis in the state, according to a WYPR report.
The changes approved by the commission will decrease the cost of patients’ medical cannabis ID cards from $50 to $25 and extend the expiration date from three years to six years, the news outlet reported.
Commissioners said the cost to produce the cards has decreased in the past five years since Maryland launched its medical cannabis market, according to WYPR, and the changes also aim to address patients’ complaints about the process to enroll in the program.
Doctors are required to submit an annual certification for patients in addition to the renewal process for patient registration, the news outlet reported.
“We have a sizable older patient population and have received consistent feedback that having registration that needs to be renewed as well as certification pretty regularly is confusing,” Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Executive Director Will Tilburg told WYPR. “We’re not trying to make revenue off patients.”
Maryland has roughly 159,000 registered medical cannabis patients, the news outlet reported, with another 20,000 expected to enroll in the program by the end of the year.
The changes approved by the Medical Cannabis Commission last week will take effect in October, according to WYPR.
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