Maryland Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 11:00 a.m. ET. It is a developing story and will continued to be updated as more information is available.

Cannabis is legal in Maryland after voters approved Question 4 in Tuesday’s election. Reports show the measure leading by a 65.4% to 34.6% margin as of 11:00 a.m. ET Wednesday with 99% of votes in, according to the state's Board of Elections.

The Free State becomes the 20^th state to legalize adult-use cannabis, after having previously legalized medical cannabis via House Bill 881 in 2014.

“The result of Maryland's cannabis legalization measure is monumental," said Toi Hutchinson, president and CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project, which announced Maryland's voters had legalized cannabis just after 9:30 p.m. ET on election night. "With each state that successfully legalizes cannabis, we are one step closer to dismantling the federal prohibition of cannabis.”

RACE ALERT: We've seen enough. Maryland just became the 20th state to legalize marijuana with huge margins. Could potentially get close to 70% yes when all counted. #LegalizedMD #SmokeTheVote pic.twitter.com/iKJQrJ2q3V

— NORML (@NORML) November 9, 2022

Maryland voters’ approval of Question 4 follows the state’s General Assembly passing House Bill 837 this past April, which allows adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis, 12 grams of concentrate, 750 milligrams of delta-9 THC or two plants for personal use.

With adult-use cannabis legalization approved by Maryland voters Tuesday, H.B. 837 goes into effect, allowing lawmakers to determine additional specific market parameters for Maryland’s cannabis industry, including licensing and taxes.

"Curio Wellness applauds the state of Maryland for passing Question 4 and joining forward-thinking states across the country in legalizing adult-use cannabis," said Wendy Bronfein, co-founder, chief brand officer and director of public policy for Maryland-based Curio Wellness. "Following six years as a successful medical program, this is a natural progression and a positive development both for our industry and Curio. Now what's most important is that we work together with the state to create and launch a best-in-class adult-use marketplace on July 1, 2023. 

"For Marylanders, legalization will further stimulate the state's economy, create good-paying jobs, reconcile long-standing racial inequities, and generate tax revenue for vital community investments, while significantly expanding access to the therapeutic benefits of cannabis," Bronfein added. "We look forward to bringing our market-leading suit of products to all Marylanders next year."

Troy Datcher, CEO of The Parent Company (TPCO), which partnered with Curio Wellness earlier this year to bring TPCO products to Maryland, also expressed excitement about the state's cannabis industry.

"The fact that Question 4 garnered more support than any adult-use cannabis ballot measure in the country’s history speaks to the shared support that Americans of all political stripes have for moving past the unjust cannabis laws that have criminalized Americans for nearly a century," Datcher said. "Tuesday’s vote also reflects the massive potential of adult-use legalization to stimulate Maryland’s economy, creating tens of thousands of new jobs for its residents and generating considerable tax revenue for the state."

(Editor's Note: Maryland's approval of cannabis legalization by a 65.4% to 34.6% margin, while significant, is the second-highest margin of approval for a cannabis legalization ballot measure, trailing only New Jersey (67% to 33%) in 2020.)

Jeffrey M. Zucker, vice chair of Marijuana Policy Project’s board of directors and president of Green Lion Partners, also applauded Maryland's cannabis legalization.

“Maryland has officially become the latest state to legalize adult-use cannabis, and I am thrilled to see this state take steps toward social equity through cannabis legalization,” Zucker said. “Though this initiative's framework is relatively bare-bones, I look forward to seeing how Maryland will structure their legislature for full adult-use cannabis legalization, and hopefully, they do so with social equity in mind.”

In addition to legalizing adult-use cannabis, Maryland voters also elected Wes Moore (D) as governor, who made clear his approval of cannabis throughout his campaign.

In an Oct. 12 gubernatorial debate with Republican candidate Dan Cox, Moore described cannabis legalization as a “core priority” of his agenda. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring a potential cannabis market in Maryland is equitable, specifically for those most impacted by the war on drugs. 

“If the state votes [yes] on Question 4, our administration will make sure that it is going to be fair and it is going to be equitable,” Moore said. “And that means using this as an opportunity to think clearly about how we are going about the prospects of positioning licenses, how are we thinking about not just the growers and the manufacturers and the paraphernalia providers, but truly using this as an opportunity to help address the wealth gap that exists within our society. 

“But … we cannot talk about the benefits of legalization if we’re also not dealing with the consequences of criminalization,” Moore added. “We’ve seen inside communities—particularly Black and Brown communities that have been disproportionately harmed—that we have to focus on things like automatic record expungement for those who have cannabis convictions. We have to focus on things like being able to deal with the pardoning of people who have criminal records for something that is now a burgeoning industry in the state of Maryland.” 

Moore also has an A grade from NORML’s Smoke the Vote campaign. 

CBT Associate Editor Tony Lange contributed to this report.