October 12th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

When Maryland lawmakers first envisioned a medical marijuana commission, they created a panel of volunteers to look after what was supposed to be limited program of academic centers dispensing the drug. Three years later, those same untrained volunteers have become closely watched regulators who have presided over the rocky launch of Maryland's multimillion-dollar medical marijuana industry. Locally, officials remain stunned that Peake Harvest was bi-passed. Peak Harvest had team members who'd successfully set up operations in other states and was ready to close on a large building in Cumberland and begin demolition immediately. It had inked partnerships with Frostburg State University and Western Maryland Health System on cannabis research. Delegate Cheryl Glenn, a Baltimore Democrat, said there was never any thought given to the idea that this commission would end up with the huge responsibility of issuing these licenses- and the process was clearly flawed…