What was once a budding industry is expected to expand even more.
Tabatha Robinson, the new director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration, aims to increase accessibility to cannabis products and provide more options to cannabis users in the state.
More operators will join the industry, especially through social equity licensing — the Maryland Office of Social Equity seeks to foster an “inclusive adult-use cannabis market” that supports populations that have been disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs.
What does this mean for Marylanders?
“We expect a lot more brands coming into the market,” Robinson says. “That often leads to more options within product categories, so we’re excited to see a lot more variation in the market to appeal to the different types of consumers Maryland has.”
Mr. Nice Guys, a local cannabis dispensary and delivery, is one small business that will benefit from these changes. The Black- and Jewish-owned dispensary has locations on South Broadway Street and on Light Street.
Mike “Bing” Bingman, the general manager of both Baltimore locations, is optimistic about the future of local cannabis.
“Maryland is doing something that no other state has done before with their social equity licenses, allowing more people to obtain these licenses to get into the cannabis recreational market through helping out disproportionated areas that were affected by cannabis laws back in the day,” Bingman says. “Maryland’s setting the bar for allowing a nonmonopoly of brands.”
Bingman got his start in the cannabis industry at the age of 18. He now has 15 years of experience.
“New products and brands will impact our business greatly because it allows more community outreach with the brands and vendors that are growing [cannabis] in this state, so we can all work together and grow unified as a ‘Maryland cannabis coalition,’” Bingman says.
He adds that perhaps many growers across the East Coast can band together and form a community without worrying about monopolization or corporatization, “because once you try and ‘corporatize’ the cannabis market, that’s where you really take the love away from it. And I don’t want to see that happen in this industry.”
Since the Baltimore locations’ opening in the summer of 2023, Bingman has tried to move away from a corporate type of atmosphere into one of community connection.
Customers of the dispensary are greeted by the sounds of music and a TV playing anime or “old-school stoner movies.” Artwork with old pop culture references adorn the black-painted walls.
“It helps us connect with our customers,” Bingman says of the store’s decor. “Because you connect with people by finding things you like together, communicating. … We create a better connection with our customers, whether it be the appreciation of cannabis or artwork or music.”
He notices that customers visiting the dispensary are often middle-age or retirement-age residents, many of whom are seeking an alternative to painkillers that Bingman says are “handed out like candy” in Maryland.
“[The dispensary] is helping bring a lot of people more natural relief, like relaxation, helping people with appetite, all that stuff,” Bingman says.
Decades ago, today’s senior citizens used cannabis in secret if at all, as it was largely a taboo.
“But now, with new laws changing, these people can be more comfortable with trying something they actually like or want to try to help them with their needs, whether it be lower back pain, anxiety, stress, nausea, an annoying mother-in-law,” Bingman quips.
“Cannabis can do a lot of great things for people.”
Many of these users have made the shift away from medicinal cannabis use to recreational since there aren’t as many restrictions associated with the latter; signing up for a medical marijuana card used to mean giving away one’s Second Amendment right. Recreationally, a user can purchase cannabis without being limited by a specific amount suggested by a doctor.
Mr. Nice Guys’ big bag of sour gummy bears is the dispensary’s bestseller among its selection: all state-compliant THC-A recreational cannabis, hemp or CBD-derived products.
“It’s really, really popular,” Bingman says. “They’re good dosage for people with pain. We also have [a] sativa blend to help people with energy and focus and creativity, as well.”
Bingman’s No. 1 goal is helping customers and forming genuine connections with them.
“Dispensing cannabis to people who need it, we’re all about the love and the growth over here, making sure that clients and patients get exactly what they need, not just trying to upsell them a bunch of stuff they don’t need,” Bingman says.
But it goes beyond the business aspect for Bingman, who wants to continue to cement a place in the local community by doing outreach and giving back to those in need.
“Back in the day, I was homeless for a while, so I would love to see this company do outreach and help the homeless, maybe doing food drives, just showing that starting up a cannabis business can do a lot of good [through] the money that we’re generating,” he says.
He hopes to grow Mr. Nice Guys’ current locations and expand into new ones to increase local access to high-quality recreational cannabis.