Maryland’s Cannabis Industry Is Eager For Legalization –– But Will It Happen This year?
House Bill 32 (HB32) was among the first bills to be filed for the 2021
Will this finally be the year that recreational cannabis is fully legalized in Maryland?
After many years of failed efforts, medical cannabis industry stakeholders are eager for the state to join the more than 15 states and jurisdictions with legal recreational, or “adult use” marijuana markets. But some say it’s more likely that the legislative measure will have to wait one more year.
House Bill 32 (HB32) was among the first bills to be filed for the 2021 session of the Maryland General Assembly. It is the latest of the yearly attempts by state legislators to fully legalize the possession, cultivation and use of marijuana. And while some of Maryland’s existing medical cannabis industry participants think it is critical Maryland legalize adult-use cannabis quickly so as not to be left behind in the broader wave of industry growth in the U.S., others believe more time and debate is likely needed to ensure full legalization is done right.
HB32 which is sponsored by Del. Jazz Lewis of Prince George’s County, sets forth parameters for legal recreational cannabis production and sale in the state, as well as for legal amounts of “personal use” cannabis and other THC-infused products that could be freely possessed by Marylanders age 21 and older. It also proposes a robust framework for expanding economic opportunities for Black and brown residents, and for repairing some of the damage that has been done to minority communities “disproportionately affected” by marijuana criminalization.
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