Social Equity Cannabis Licensee Launches Micro-Cultivation Facility in Cecil County
Collin McIlvried, a Marine Corps veteran and 22-year resident of Elkton, partnered with Kyle Gamble—who was previously incarcerated for cannabis in Pennsylvania—to launch a small business. Kyle's background made him eligible for the state's adult-use cannabis social equity license lottery following legalization in 2023.
However, as social equity licensees trying to launch a micro-cultivation facility in Cecil County, they hit a brick wall trying to find capital. Traditional banks refused to offer loans to cannabis businesses, and private lenders offered predatory terms. Facing zoning challenges and a strict state timeline to become operational, the partners felt they were in a "hopeless battle".
The grants from OSE quite literally made the difference in us becoming operational or not.
Their trajectory changed entirely when they leveraged integrated resources from DoSEM's Office of Social Equity (OSE). Green Genie secured a $14,000 Technical Assistance Grant for professional training and $157,500 from the Cannabis Business Assistance Fund (CBAF), allowing them to successfully open their doors in February 2026.