In April 2022, Maryland enacted legislation to allow voters to decide whether the state should legalize and regulate adult cannabis use. HB 1 refers the legalization question to the November 2022 ballot. HB 837, which is contingent on a majority of Marylanders voting in favor of cannabis legalization, establishes some regulations related to removing criminal penalties for low-level possession and cultivation and creating assistance funds for small and minority-owned businesses. If voters approve the ballot question, legalization will take effect on July 1, 2023. NACDL, NACDL joined a host of organizations, including the Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition, in urging Maryland to legalize the possession and retail sale of marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Marijuana Legalization
NACDL, as part of the Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition, successfully advocated for legislation to advance marijuana legalization in Maryland.
