Maryland senators on Monday signaled that they may follow the House’s lead by putting the issue of marijuana legalization on the state’s November ballot and delay creating comprehensive regulations for the market until next year after voters make their decision. Monday’s hearing before the Senate Finance Committee was a whirlwind. There were three marijuana reform bills on the agenda: two from Del. Luke Clippinger (D) that already passed the House and another from Sen. Brian Feldman (D). But rather than tackle each proposal one-by-one, members discussed possible revisions to the Senate bill to more closely align it with one of Clippinger’s bills on setting preliminary rules if voters approve legalization on the ballot. As drafted, Feldman’s SB 833 would have not only placed legalization on the ballot but also prescribed specific regulations for the would-be market, setting tax rates on marijuana products and creating licensing policies, for example. In committee, that language was largely scrapped in a proposed revised version—replaced with most of the provisions of the House-passed HB 837, which largely focuses on topics such as penalties and expungements.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/28/2022 17:31:00