Dear Friend,

 

We have worked hard to legalize cannabis here in Maryland and we finally did it! Along with Missouri’s passage of Amendment 3, Maryland’s passage of Question 4 proves that more and more voters are eager to live in a country with drug policies based on health instead of punishment. 




Starting July 1st, 2023, cannabis will be legal in Maryland for possession of up to 1.5oz and up to two plants in your home for Marylanders at least 21 years of age. This will make 21 states plus D.C. that have cannabis legal for adult consumption. 




There’s still some fine print to be conscious of regarding the specifics of the new amendment. While cannabis will be officially legal and remain decriminalized in 8 months, possession of amounts over 1.5oz is still punishable by civil fines starting from $250 up to a maximum of 3 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $5000 depending on the offense. Another thing that isn’t being reported on much is that recreational use of cannabis remains illegal for federal employees, members of the military, and for those who wish to be considered for federal employment. The good news is that automatic expungement of past simple possession charges goes into effect on January 1st. The deadline for former offenders to apply for the automatic expungement is on July 1, 2024. 




We know that cannabis related charges disproportionately impact Black and brown Marylanders so we are hopeful that this is a first step of many to begin repairing the harm done by the War On Drugs. Lawmakers previously promised to thoroughly examine the best processes for ensuring equity among people of color, especially those who wish to join the industry. We will be keeping our eyes on lawmakers’ plans for rolling out next steps in the regulation process, which should begin during the General Assembly session in January.




We’ll keep you updated on any important changes regarding the amendment. Thank you for all of your support in this campaign for cannabis legalization. Without the help of election volunteers, donations, and you all getting out the vote, we could be writing a different email. The fight against the war on drugs isn’t over, but we still have a lot to celebrate. 




Onward,

Jennifer Mendes Dwyer

Deputy Executive Director of Progressive Maryland


Progressive Maryland
P.O. Box 6988
Largo, MD 20792
United States
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