MD HB1519

Excludes management services agreements (up to 25% of gross revenue or 50% of gross profit), franchise relationships, and purchase options from the definition of "control" of a cannabis business, allowing third-party business arrangements without triggering ownership restrictions

Reduces the license transfer prohibition period from 5 years to 3 years, enabling cannabis licensees to sell or transfer ownership sooner after initial licensure

Expands outdoor advertising permissions, allowing cannabis businesses to display billboards and signs at locations more than 500 feet from schools, child care facilities, playgrounds, libraries, places of worship, and substance use treatment facilities

Requires management services agreements to be submitted to the Maryland Cannabis Administration for approval within 45 days, with automatic approval if no determination is made

Doubles the fine for unlicensed sale of cannabis products containing more than 0.5mg THC per serving from $5,000 to $10,000, with each individually packaged product constituting a separate violation