Caroline County commissioners on March 11 gave first reading to a proposed ordinance that would regulate cannabis dispensaries, growers and processors, set location restrictions and establish definitions and permitting rules.

The measure, introduced as legislative bill 2025-001, would add a new section (proposed 175-48) to the county zoning code and amend existing subsections to add cannabis facilities to the county table of uses. The text presented on March 11 specifies that dispensaries would be allowed in the C-1 and C-2 commercial districts, while growers and processors would be located in the I-2 industrial district. The draft requires setbacks of 500 feet from schools and lists parks, libraries, day cares, playgrounds, civic centers and churches among other sensitive sites from which cannabis facilities must be separated. Compliance would be judged at the time of permit application.

Crystal, Planning and Codes staff, told commissioners that some elements of the map are still being developed because “some of the setback distances are relative to the proposed structure” and the county lacks mapped data for some features such as home day cares. She said the bill’s setback and zoning language for dispensaries was written “in accordance with House Bill 805” enacted by the state last year.

Vice President Larry C. Porter said he opposed the 500-foot minimum setback as drafted. “I don’t think 500 feet’s enough,” Porter said, citing concerns about schools and where commercial zoning might sit in relation to school sites. Other commissioners and staff discussed options for mapping commercial zones and school locations to show realistic buffer distances and whether towns’ existing liquor-store setback rules could allow different limits inside municipal boundaries.

One staff presenter noted a preamble was drafted for the new section that would state the county was exercising the authority that remains under sections 36-405 and 36-410 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and that the presence of cannabis facilities results from state law, not county authorization.

The commissioners agreed to treat the introduction as an emergency measure that, if enacted, would take effect immediately. The board adopted a schedule for the matter: a notice of public hearing will be published in the Star-Democrat on March 16, a public hearing and second reading is scheduled for March 18, and a third reading and potential enactment would be held in April; if enacted as an emergency measure on the day of final passage it would take effect immediately.

Discussion on the bill focused on mapping and how state law constrains local setbacks; no final zoning changes were adopted at the March 11 meeting. Commissioners directed staff to develop maps showing existing school locations and commercial zoning so the board could assess practical buffer distances before the second reading and hearing.

Votes and formal procedural action at the March 11 meeting covered the bill’s introduction and scheduling: the commissioners moved and approved the first reading/introductory action and the hearing schedule for both bills introduced that day.