Maryland’s Republican governor announced on Friday that he won’t stand in the way of implementing marijuana legalization if voters approve the reform on the November ballot. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) included the cannabis legislation in a list of bills he is not signing or vetoing but is allowing to take effect without his signature. Last week, The Senate and House of Delegates approved separate measures to put a referendum before voters on whether the state should legalize marijuana and begin implementing the reform if the ballot question is approved. Both HB 1, the referendum measure, and HB 837, the implementation bill, was sponsored by Del. Luke Clippinger (D), who chairs the Judiciary Committee and led a legislative cannabis workgroup formed by House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D). The former bill simply places legalization on the ballot and, because it is a constitutional amendment, is not subject to action by the governor. HB 837, meanwhile, sets basic rules for the adult-use program if voters approve the ballot referendum. Those provisions mostly concern issues such as penalties and expungement. It is that bill that Hogan announced will take effect without his putting pen to paper.
Mmp News Author, Medical Marijuana Program Connection, 04/08/2022 23:59:00