Fake Medical Marijuana Card Scam in Maryland
Maryland has been moving towards a functional medical marijuana program at a glacial pace since 2014. Now some patients are falling victim to a scam that takes advantage of patients anxiety about that long delay.
Heres the good news: Marylands long-awaited medical marijuana legislation will likely go into effect next year, providing much-needed relief for residents of the Old Line State that are suffering from a series of conditions ranging from chronic pain to seizures and eating disorders.
But heres the less-than-savory news: along the way, the state has hit an embarrassing number of roadblocks and setbacks; the most recent of which is a rash of attempts to scam Marylanders into purchasing illegitimate marijuana cards or to sign up for pre-approval.
Beyond the Trump University-level sleaziness of stealing peoples money, the scammers have further de-legitimized the medical marijuana industry in a state where the legislation is already wobbling on thin ice.
In April 2014, Governor Martin OMalley signed twin medical marijuana bills HB 881 and SB 923 into law. Since then, the state has set up the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) to regulate the burgeoning industry and to issue preliminary licenses for companies to grow, process and dispense cannabis in the state.
Yet none of the businesses have actually received bona fide licenses yet, nor have they begun doing business. Furthermore, no doctors are currently able to issue certifications for medical cannabis.
As a result,Patrick Jameson, executive director of the MMCC, saidany service currently offering marijuana cards in the state is completely illegitimate.
This type of fraudulent activity preys against the most vulnerable people in society and we will do everything possible to stop this behavior, Jameson said. Only patient identification cards issued by the Commission are legitimate. At this point no ID cards have been issued.
According to data from the MMCC, there have already been 20 reports of scamming businesses sprouting up across the state.
Darrell Carrington, executive director of the Maryland Cannabis Industry Association, says the long delay has left many patients in a vulnerable state, which the scammers are exploiting.
Theyre taking advantage of [potential patients] because people are so desperate for the medication,Carrington said.
The rise of scamming is only the latest in a series of troubles that have plagued the commission.One of the most worrisome was a finding in August 2016, following the release of the list of the businesses to receive preliminary licenses, that the commission did not actively seek to achieve ethnic [and] racial diversity as required by law.
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