The short version
- Every two years. Since July 1, 2026, every Maryland cannabis agent must complete MCA-approved training at least once every 2 years. Before the change, agents trained every year.
- New hires still have 90 days. A new agent must finish within 90 days of their start date. That deadline was already in MCA rules, and HB 622 wrote it into state law.
- 2025 training is good until 2027. The MCA says agents who trained in 2025 can retrain sooner but are not required to until 2027.
- It still has to be an approved course. Agents must use a provider on the MCA's approved list. The list was last updated October 21, 2026.
What HB 622 is
House Bill 622 of 2026, "Cannabis - Licensees - Dispensary Licenses, Micro Dispensary Employees, and Cannabis Agent Training Programs," became Chapter 375 when the Governor approved it on May 12, 2026. It took effect July 1, 2026. Beyond training, it extends a delivery window for certain dispensary license holders and raises the employee cap for micro dispensaries from 10 to 20.
For training, it made five changes. It moved the schedule from yearly to at least once every two years. It put the 90-day new-hire deadline into the statute. It handed most of the course topics to the Maryland Cannabis Administration to set by regulation. It renamed responsible vendor training as cannabis agent training. And it told the MCA to give priority to programs already approved as responsible vendor training.
Who has to take it
Every registered cannabis agent who works for or volunteers at a licensed grower, processor or dispensary. Employees of on-site consumption establishments are covered too. The MCA's page puts it plainly: "All cannabis business agents (Growers, Processors, Dispensaries) are required to complete an MCA-approved training course."
Grower and processor agents must also use an approved course, and the MCA lists providers that offer extra tracks it has vetted for growers and processors.
What the course has to cover now
Before HB 622, the statute listed seven topic areas, including licenses, age and ID checks, potency and impairment, records, patient privacy, prohibited acts and sales rules. HB 622 removed four of them and lets the MCA set the core curriculum by regulation. What the law itself still names:
- Administrative and criminal liability
- Legal requirements for employees and owners
- State and local licensing and enforcement
- Public health and safety standards for each license type
The MCA has not yet adopted new curriculum rules. Its provider guidance, last revised in January 2026, still lists the earlier topics. If you are comparing providers, ask how they will update their course when the new rules come out.
How long the training has to be
State law sets a minimum of 2 hours in a classroom or virtual setting, and HB 622 did not change it. The MCA's application guidance for providers asks for at least 4 hours. The same guidance requires a final test passed at 70% or better and requires online courses to stop learners from skipping ahead.
Before and after
| Requirement | Before July 1, 2026 | Since July 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Every year | At least once every 2 years |
| New hires | Within 90 days of start (MCA rule) | Within 90 days of start (now also in state law) |
| Approved provider | Required | Required |
| Course topics | Listed in the statute | Mostly set by MCA regulation |
| Minimum length | 2 hours in law, 4 hours in MCA provider guidance | No change |
One loose end: COMAR 14.17.15.05, the MCA rule on agent training, still says "annually." The statute now controls, and the MCA's own page follows the two-year schedule. Expect the rule to be updated.
Your own training still counts separately
Approved agent training sits on top of the training every licensee must give its own staff. Under COMAR 14.17.15.05, you still train each agent on your standard operating procedures, diversion prevention, security, safety and emergencies, and the State drug-free workplace policy. A provider's course does not replace that.
What to do this quarter
- Pull your training records and note each agent's last completion date.
- Move agents who trained in 2025 to a 2027 due date, and set new hires to 90 days from their start date.
- Check that every course on file came from a provider on the MCA's current approved list.
- Keep training materials and attendance records where the MCA can inspect them.
- Watch for the MCA's new curriculum rules and confirm your provider updates its course.
