Charles County commissioners are considering restricting where outdoor cannabis can be grown after neighbors of a proposed cultivation operation in Faulkner raised concerns at the Sept. 15 board meeting.
Cannabis growing is currently permitted anywhere in the county as a standard agricultural operation, provided state licensing requirements are met, because the Maryland Department of Agriculture has not classified cannabis as a traditional agricultural crop, leaving the zoning question to individual jurisdictions. Commissioners discussed whether to instead restrict outdoor grow operations to specific zoning districts.
Commissioner Gilbert “BJ” Bowling brought the item to the board, saying residents in the rural Faulkner community would prefer such operations be limited to industrial zones. “Time is of the essence,” Bowling said, citing the pace at which the Faulkner property could move toward state licensure. Commissioner Thomasina “Sina” Coates was more direct in her opposition. “I can’t stand the smell, and I cannot imagine anyone living next to that,” she said.
Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins II asked staff to bring back examples of how other Maryland jurisdictions handle outdoor cannabis cultivation for comparison. County Planning Director Charles Rice told the board the Faulkner property remains “several milestones” away from state licensure, giving the county some time to act. County Attorney Wes Adams said nine other Maryland counties currently treat cannabis as a standard agricultural operation, but he agreed to explore establishing a moratorium on new outdoor cannabis grow operations while commissioners weigh legislative options.
Commissioners directed staff to review regulations from other jurisdictions, develop options that could limit where outdoor cannabis growing facilities are located, and propose conditions to reduce impacts on neighboring properties. Adams is expected to return with a regulatory update in the coming weeks.
The discussion follows the county’s move in June to update its zoning rules for recreational cannabis dispensaries, which will be permitted in six commercial and industrial zones under Maryland’s 2023 Cannabis Reform Act. That measure focused on where cannabis can be sold; the Faulkner dispute centers instead on where it can be grown.
