Over the past week, Maryland lawmakers have started grilling experts about possible marijuana policies that would legalize the drug for recreational purposes amongst adults.
Legal experts and the heads of Maryland’s alcohol and medical regulatory agencies spoke to lawmakers during a work meeting Tuesday afternoon. One of the biggest concerns for delegates isn’t whether the drug should be legalized but how to ensure small start-ups are able to compete with larger, established marijuana companies.
This isn’t the first time that Maryland politicians have looked at legalizing the drug. In 2019, a similar workgroup was started but like previous attempts, it was kicked down the road to look at another time.
House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones supports legalization, as does Senate President Bill Ferguson. Ferguson has already stated that his chamber would pass legislation sometime this session.
Polls in recent years show a majority of Marylanders support allowing recreational marijuana.
