Maryland marijuana dispensaries will be required to include sales tax information with every retail transaction recorded in the state’s tracking system beginning November 18, according to a new notice issued by the Maryland Cannabis Administration and Metrc.
The change was announced in an October 12 industry bulletin, which states that the sales tax field will become mandatory for both sales receipts and delivery transactions entered into Metrc, Maryland’s statewide marijuana tracking system.
Under the new requirement, any transaction submitted without a sales tax value will automatically be rejected by the system. Dispensaries using third-party point-of-sale software must ensure their systems are configured to transmit the required tax information to Metrc.
The requirement applies to both recreational and medical marijuana transactions, although the reporting rules distinguish between the two. For recreational purchases, the system will require a sales tax amount greater than $0. Medical marijuana transactions involving registered patients or caregivers may report a value of $0, reflecting the state’s existing medical marijuana tax exemption.
Maryland currently imposes a 12% sales tax on recreational marijuana purchases, following an increase from 9% that took effect July 1, 2025. Medical marijuana remains exempt from the tax.
According to the bulletin, the new reporting requirement is intended to ensure accurate tax reporting data. Metrc emphasized that its system will not automatically calculate or populate the sales tax field, leaving licensees responsible for calculating, collecting and accurately reporting the appropriate amounts.
The mandatory field will appear within the Transaction Details section of Metrc’s Record Receipts interface. If a transaction involving multiple product packages is missing required tax information, the system will identify the affected packages and prevent the transaction from being recorded until the information is supplied.
The November 18 implementation does not establish a new marijuana tax or require dispensaries to submit separate tax returns for individual purchases. Instead, it adds a mandatory transaction-level reporting requirement to the state’s existing marijuana inventory and sales tracking system.
The change gives Maryland regulators more detailed tax information tied to individual marijuana sales while requiring dispensaries to ensure their reporting software is updated before the November deadline.
