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Maine, Maryland Marijuana Legalization Bills Filed

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #773)
Politics & Advocacy

Maine and Maryland became the latest states to see marijuana legalization bills filed this year, with lawmakers in those two states rolling out measures this week. They join Hawaii (already killed), Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, with Pennsylvania and Vermont expected to add to the list shortly.

In Maine, state Reps. Diane Russell (D-Portland) and Aaron Libby (R-Waterford) held a press conference Thursday to unveil details of their new bill, the Tax and Regulate Marijuana Act (no bill number or online text yet available). As the title suggests, it would legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and over.

The bill would remove criminal penalties for possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana, direct a state agency to license and regulate marijuana commerce, including industrial hemp, create a $50 an ounce excise tax on wholesale sales, and allow localities to not allow marijuana commerce.

"When it comes to keeping marijuana away from teens, keeping marijuana in an unregulated underground market is the worst possible policy," Rep. Russell said. "Instead, marijuana should be sold by legitimate, taxpaying businesses in a tightly regulated market."

"Marijuana is objectively far less harmful than alcohol for the consumer and for the broader community," said David Boyer, Maine political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "It is irrational to punish adults who simply prefer to use the less harmful substance. Law enforcement resources should be focused on preventing and responding to serious crimes rather than enforcing the failed policy of marijuana prohibition," Boyer said. "It's time for a more sensible approach."

It won't be easy. Under Maine law, if the bill passes, a constitutional referendum on it would go before the voters in November. If the voters approve it then, it goes back to the legislature next session to work out final details.

In Maryland, Del. Curt Anderson (D-Baltimore) Thursday introduced House Bill 1453, which would legalize the possession of up to an ounce and three plants for adults 21 and over. It would also create a system of regulation and taxation for marijuana commerce and impose a $50 an ounce excise tax on wholesale marijuana transactions.

Colorado and Washington voted to legalize marijuana in the November elections, and Alaska allows the possession of small amounts in one's home. The race is now on to be the next state to hop on the marijuana legalization bandwagon.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

kickback (not verified)

Folk`s up on the North East Coast need to grow autoflower plants indoors or in the back yard  . Any state law that allows you to buy Cannabis at a store but not be able to grow it at home , is destined for failure . Why grow Tomatoes at home yourself  when you can just buy them from me ?

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 6:28am Permalink
Drug Tested Dude (not verified)

Our problem here in Maryland is Gov Martin O'malley killed last year's legislature approved medical bill under the guise that federal police would sweep in and incarcerate any state employee who procured the sought after natural herb. This is baseless and not credible as MMJ has been around for about 20 yrs with over a million card carrying, registered citizens. Speculation is that O'malley has aspirations for Obama's job and doesn't want this on his clock. He killed the majority approved bill for his own personal. Gain and we're afraid he'll do the same this year.
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 4:56pm Permalink
concerned citizen (not verified)

In reply to by Drug Tested Dude (not verified)

I agree w DDD, Martin O'Malley is hiding behind an uncredible reason for veto. The joke is on him because W 72% support ford dr. dan morhaim medical marijuana act, O'Malley is losing credibility by not supporting it.
Wed, 02/27/2013 - 11:56pm Permalink
Paul Pot (not verified)

By the time we have seen what legalization looks like after twelve months it will be hard to argue for prohibition any longer. The drug war will very on very shaky ground by the time another election comes around.

Sun, 02/24/2013 - 10:13am Permalink
David M Hart (not verified)

"Under Maine law, if the bill passes, it must then go before the voters in November. If the voters approve it then, it goes back to the legislature next session. If the legislature then approves it a second time, it would then go back before the voters a second time on the November 2014 ballot."

 

Is that the procedure for every new law in Maine - it needs to be passed by the legislature, then put to a popular vote, then passed by the legislature again, then put to the popular vote again? That seems incredibly cumbersome and unnecessary.

Mon, 02/25/2013 - 7:28am Permalink
Drug Tested Dude (not verified)

Another problem in Maryland is we have synth pot which is sickening people from Napthelene poisoning. Since the latest rounds of federal bans snuck into an FDA food act by Schumer from NY, all of the reputable synth makers have gone away, leaving only asshole makers putting out garbage that produces this poisoning sending folks to the ER. I know from experience. Is it all really worth it? Rand tried to warn us.
Mon, 02/25/2013 - 9:09pm Permalink
Drug Tested Dude (not verified)

Another problem in Maryland is we have synth pot which is sickening people from Napthelene poisoning. Since the latest rounds of federal bans snuck into an FDA food act by Schumer from NY, all of the reputable synth makers have gone away, leaving only asshole makers putting out garbage that produces this poisoning sending folks to the ER. I know from experience. Is it all really worth it? Rand tried to warn us.
Mon, 02/25/2013 - 9:15pm Permalink
Fireweed (not verified)

In reply to by Drug Tested Dude (not verified)

And legalizing and regulating sales of mj would serve to completely eliminate this substance gaining a foothold, or further occupying the time of our lawmakers (and thereby sapping tax dollars) as can so easily happen in the current legal status as dealers may be prone to infusing synthetic substances into ditch weed. To the uninitiated, this stuff does "seem" to feel like good old mj, but it is essentially  different and does not have the same bidirectional safety net that pure cannabis does.  I've smoked it before and there is a difference, however subtle, in how it affects you neurologically.  If anyone asks I'd say don't do it unless you like russian roulette.  I never landed in the er but I can see where someone could. 

Sat, 03/02/2013 - 11:55am Permalink
Fireweed (not verified)

The Chinese chemists at the source of this stupifying substance will always find new chemical combinations to stay a step ahead of new laws being spit out.  This will only serve to waste tax dollars as lawmakers will be tied up racing against the next molecule rather than addressing real concerns that we face as a country. 

Another thing that legalization would achieve is to ensure smokers that they are smoking what they expect to be smoking, and not just some ditch schwag that's been marinated in that shit.  That other stuff is cheap and apparently not hard to make, but it's not cannabis and therefore not safe.  There is so much we don't know about that crap, and

Legalizing and regulating would ensure that shit like this stays out of the picture.  I tried that stuff before and while I never landed in the er I can see where you might if you smoked too much of the wrong stuff at the wrong time.  don't like it, it's categorically NOT WEED.

Sat, 03/02/2013 - 11:49am Permalink

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