For the second straight year the Maryland Legislature will debate whether to legalize marijuana for medical purposes.
Maryland House Bill 940, introduced by Del. Donald Murphy (R-Baltimore County), allows qualified patients to possess and cultivate marijuana for medicinal purposes. The proposed law would also establish a state-run registry for qualified patients, and allow patients and their primary caregivers to raise medical necessity as an affirmative defense to any marijuana prosecution. Twenty-nine delegates, including nine Republicans, have signed on to the bill, which has a hearing scheduled for March 1. A companion bill, SB 750, is pending in the Senate and will be heard on February 28.
Further information on HB 940 and SB 750 is available at: http://capwiz.com/norml2/md/officials/state/?state=md&lvl=L. To read about other pending marijuana legislation, visit: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/.
