The legislative drive to legalize recreational cannabis in Maryland during this General Assembly session opened Monday with supporters of two House of Delegate bills arguing they would help right past wrongs.
Opponents, however, warned in a House committee hearing they would only lead to more trouble.
The first bill is a simple state constitutional amendment that would legalize recreational cannabis for anyone over 21. It would have to be approved by three-fifths votes in the House and Senate and at a referendum in November.
The second is a sweeping bill that lays out requirements for studies and creates a cannabis business assistance fund to help small, minority and women owned businesses. Del. Luke Clippinger, the bill’s sponsor, said it provides the first step to building a licensing structure to encourage minority owned businesses.
“We need to learn from our mistakes of the past,” he said, “because we cannot repeat the debacle that took place during the rollout of Maryland’s medical cannabis licenses.”
Read more (and listen) at WYPR.
