As Maryland’s legislators brood over cannabis legalization in 2021’s legislative session, a lead lawmaker from the Delegates House has launched an early layout of what an authorized marijuana system would like in Maryland.
Delegate Lewis Jazz, who pre-submitted the legalization proposal, shared the proposal’s draft this week.
Although his department stated that it’s still working on the reform and that prospects are likely to change, Jazz’s present plan would regulate and legalize marijuana, authorize sales through federally-licensed businesses, scrape off past convictions and develop a social equity system for investing in communities that were adversely hit by the fight on drugs.
Jazz said that he unveiled the legislation since Maryland has the information and popular view to end cannabis criminalization.
He added that states that have authorized Marijuana have recorded declining teen consumption thanks to the disruptions in the illegal market. He further said that law enforcement has strongly asserted that it would rather spend its resources in pursuing actual criminals rather than young kids.
The lawmaker urged that Maryland should and can do better.
According to an official from the Legislative Services Department, the reform’s language wasn’t accessible by the public despite Lewis pre-filing it in October. That official added that pre-filed legislations are considered confidential until they begin appearing on the website.
The state’s legislative session starts on 13th January, and Jazz’s legalization bill is scheduled for a mandatory first reading on that day. The reading will occur in both the Health and Judiciary Government Operations departments.
The draft legislation from the delegate’s office reads that 21 and older adults can possess not more than two ounces of marijuana or 15g of concentrate. It also allows adults to possess other THC products that have not more than 15mg of THC. However, possession exceeding the threshold would attract a $250 civil fine or sixteen hours of community service.
