If you’ve been following the news over the last few years, you’ve probably seen that many states have begun legalizing recreational marijuana. In Maryland, medical marijuana was already permitted. This is the same as in many other states, such as Michigan, which had medical marijuana laws for years before finally legalizing recreational marijuana.
Additionally, if you’re a voter, you may have seen that there was a ballot referendum about cannabis use in Maryland. Citizens were allowed to vote on whether or not they wanted recreational use to be legal. So how did they vote and is this now legal within the state?
It is not legal (quite yet)
The ballot measure did pass and is going to be put into law. There will still be restrictions, such as the fact that people who buy recreational marijuana need to be at least 21 years old. Another restriction can be that products are not allowed to exceed 750 mg of THC. All states set their own restrictions and limits when establishing these laws, in Maryland is no different.
But the big thing to remember is that this will not take place until the summer. The new law doesn’t go into effect until July 1 of 2023. As of right now, marijuana is still illegal. Moreover, it is illegal to bring marijuana across state lines. So, even if you were to drive to a state where you can already make legal purchases, if you bring it back to Maryland, you are in violation of both state and federal law.
What are your options?
You can see how complications over changing laws may lead to criminal charges. If this happens to you, just be sure you know what legal options you have.