News

In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Del. Darryl Barnes, chair of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, calls for an end to cannabis criminalization.

"We strongly urge legislators to revise the proposal to legalize possession and home cultivation upon enactment. We also urge the legislature to pass implementing legislation in 2022 to ensure racial justice is at the heart of legalization, and to allow for a more timely transition to a safe, regulated market," said Karen O'Keefe, MPP's state policies director.

"Neither adult use legalization bill introduced in Maryland has advanced ahead of today’s crossover deadline, meaning the legislature is not ready to move forward with legalization this year. However, bill sponsors are working on amendments that could be considered after crossover to set the stage for equitable legalization next year," said Olivia Naugle, MPP's legislative analyst.

"We are disappointed in the inaction to legalize cannabis for adult-use in Maryland this year. This means another year of Marylanders being subjected to the harms of prohibition—including thousands of life-altering stops, searches, and arrests for cannabis," said Olivia Naugle, MPP's legislative analyst.

Olivia Naugle, a legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in an email to Marijuana Moment that the group “urges SB 708 to be amended to mirror Delegate Jazz Lewis’ HB 32 and for the legislature to swiftly pass it.”