Maryland's medical cannabis program is expected to be fully up and running later this year, and in the coming months, patients can register with the state.

But there's a series of issues that still need to be resolved, even as marijuana growers and dispensaries are getting ready to open for business.

Construction is moving fast at a 44,000-square-foot warehouse in Baltimore. Ted Rebholz, president of Temescal Wellness, gave 11 News an exclusive tour of their soon-to-be medical cannabis facility. For security reasons, 11 News agreed not to share the exact location.

"We are totally repurposing this building," Rebholz said. "We will have the majority of the square footage for clones, to fully harvestable plants."

Temescal also runs a production facility in New Hampshire, and they're anxious to expand to Baltimore. Temescal is one of 15 companies granted pre-approval from the state of Maryland to grow marijuana, and is one 102 companies pre-approved to dispense it. They plan to hire up to 100 workers.

Temescal just hired Dicy Painter to make sure the company follows regulations. She's excited about the possible uses for medical marijuana.

"I worked at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for 16 years at the federal government. If I am leaving the federal government, this is what I'm doing or I am not doing anything," Painter said.

Painter is part of a growing number of minorities and women entering the industry. According to new data released by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, the number of minorities and women entering the industry exceeds 50 percent. The agency in charge of licensing recently came under fire for failing to grant minority-led companies licenses to cultivate.

As state lawmakers consider issuing another round of licenses to minorities, another debate is brewing over the uses for medical cannabis, especially the potential use as an additional treatment to help people with struggling with heroin and prescription opioids.

Temescal said they have patients in New Hampshire who have broken their opioid dependence thanks to cannabis.

"The potential for providing patients a non-toxic, plant-based alternative therapy, I think it's a no-brainer," Rebholz said.

Some recent studies found decreased opioid use among medical marijuana patients. One study even found a 25 percent drop in opioid overdose deaths in states that legalized medical marijuana.

Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen, who has been nationally recognized for leading Baltimore's war against opioids, isn't sold.

"We need a lot more evidence, a lot more research on how medical marijuana may or not affect opioid usage," Wen said.

Regardless, Wen supports medical cannabis.

"There are patients in intractable pain or don't have other options, or have doctors who say this is the best solution for them, so I am glad this tool is available to those that need it," Wen said.

As the uses for cannabis are still being sorted out, Temescal is building on the possibility of growth.