Annapolis, MD: Lawmakers on Monday sent a budget bill (House Bill 352) to Democratic Gov. Wes Moore which includes a tax hike on the retail sale of adult-use cannabis products.
The bill raises the cannabis sales tax from 9 percent to 12 percent, effective for the fiscal year 2026 and every year thereafter. Lawmakers had initially sought to increase the special cannabis sales tax to 15 percent.
Maryland lawmakers began the session facing a $3 billion structural deficit.
NORML generated hundreds of communications to Maryland lawmakers opposing the tax hike, opining that artificially raising the price of adult-use cannabis products will hurt both consumers and licensed businesses.
Lawmakers in California, Michigan, and New Jersey are also considering raising taxes on state-legal marijuana products. In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has called for doubling the state’s sales tax on adult-use cannabis products. House leaders have rejected that plan, though Senate leaders have indicated their willingness to consider it.
Legislative action alerts for California, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and other states are available from NORML’s Take Action Center.