Md. legalizes recreational cannabis use
Maryland on July 1 officially legalized the recreational use of cannabis. Marylanders 21 or older can legally purchase and possess cannabis for recreational use.
Police are also no longer allowed to search a vehicle or person solely on the odor of cannabis. Maryland is the 23rd state to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, along with D.C.
and three U.S. territories. “Today, Maryland takes a significant step forward in rectifying past injustices,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a press release. “In legalizing cannabis, we are abandoning a failed criminal justice policy that perpetuated the over-policing, over-arrest, and over-incarceration of too many Marylanders, particularly Black and brown people.” Dispensaries in the state saw record sales following the legalization, with the Maryland Cannabis Administration reporting $10.4 million in sales the following weekend.
Cannabis was legalized for medical use in Maryland in 2013, with decriminalization of possession of 10 grams or less coming in 2014.
