A top Maryland lawmaker wants the state to get prepared to regulate adult-use marijuana if voters approve the reform at the ballot this year. Del. Luke Clippinger (D), who chairs the Judiciary Committee and leads a cannabis workgroup that’s been studying the issue, already filed a separate measure in December to put legalization on the ballot as a referendum question in accordance with a plan from the House speaker. Now he’s introduced follow-up legislation based on the findings of the study panel that would set up the regulatory infrastructure for such a program if approved by voters. House Bill 837 would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana and decriminalize possession of amounts greater than that up to 2.5 ounces. “Marylanders deserve to have their voices heard at the ballot box on the question of legalization, but we cannot move forward without an implementation plan that addresses our immediate priorities,” Clippinger said in a press release. “With this legislation, we will be prepared with a comprehensive policy that creates the best, most equitable path to legal recreational cannabis should voters say yes.”
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 02/03/2022 12:40:00