Political History of Cannabis in Maryland

Last verified: April 2026

Medical Cannabis: 2013–2017

Maryland’s cannabis journey began with the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, established when Governor Martin O’Malley signed HB 1101 in 2013. The road from law to operational dispensary took four painful years:

• 2013 — HB 1101 signed, creating the medical cannabis commission
• October 2014 — SB 364 decriminalized possession of less than 10 grams (civil fine, not criminal arrest)
• 2015 — HB 881 transformed the commission’s structure and licensing approach
• August 2016 — The commission awarded 15 grower licenses. Zero went to Black-owned businesses

The 2016 licensing outcome was a defining moment. In a state where Black residents were 58% of cannabis arrests despite being 30% of the population, the total exclusion of Black-owned businesses from the first round of licenses was devastating.

The Licensing Crisis & the Fight for Equity

The zero-for-fifteen result triggered immediate backlash:

• Delegate Cheryl D. Glenn and the Legislative Black Caucus called the outcome “unacceptable” and demanded reform
• Judge Barry Williams issued a temporary restraining order, halting the licensing process while equity concerns were addressed
• The commission was forced to reevaluate its process, but the fundamental damage was done — the first movers in Maryland’s cannabis industry were overwhelmingly white-owned companies
• December 2017 — The first dispensaries finally opened, four full years after legalization. The delay cost patients years of access and allowed the illicit market to remain entrenched

The 2016 licensing failure became the cautionary tale that shaped everything that followed. When Maryland moved to legalize recreational cannabis, the equity provisions in the Cannabis Reform Act were written in direct response to this history.

The Enforcement Data: 96% in Baltimore

The political case for legalization — and for aggressive equity provisions — was built on enforcement data that was impossible to ignore:

• ACLU (2013): Black Marylanders were 58% of cannabis arrests despite being 30% of the population — 3 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than white residents
• Baltimore (2015–2017): 96% of cannabis charges were filed against Black residents. State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby eventually stopped prosecuting cannabis possession cases entirely
• Statewide: Maryland had the 4th highest cannabis arrest rate nationally. Black residents were 31% of the state population but 69% of those in state prison for drug offenses

These numbers — particularly the 96% figure from Baltimore — became central to the legalization argument. They demonstrated that cannabis prohibition in Maryland was, in practice, a system of racially targeted enforcement. Legalization was not just about commerce; it was about ending that system.

Question 4 & the Cannabis Reform Act

Maryland’s legalization followed a deliberate two-step process designed to give voters the final say:

• July 2021 — House Speaker Adrienne Jones created the Cannabis Referendum Workgroup to design the legalization framework
• 2022 session — Delegate Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore), the primary architect, introduced HB 1. Senator Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery) carried the Senate companion
• November 8, 2022 — Question 4 appeared on the ballot. The Yes on 4 campaign, chaired by former Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Eugene Monroe and organized by the Marijuana Policy Project, raised $211,370. The opposition — Protect Maryland Kids — raised $0
• Result: 67.2% yes, carrying 23 of 24 counties
• May 3, 2023 — Governor Moore signed the Cannabis Reform Act (HB 556/SB 516), the enabling legislation
• July 1, 2023 — Sales launched. 95 dispensaries opened day one. $3.6 million in first-day sales

Governor Moore: 175,000 Pardons

Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor, made cannabis justice a centerpiece of his administration:

• June 17, 2024 — Moore issued pardons for 175,000 cannabis convictions affecting an estimated 100,000 individuals. This was the largest state-level cannabis pardon in American history
• First paraphernalia pardons — Maryland became the first state to pardon cannabis paraphernalia convictions, not just possession
• 2025 — An additional 7,000 pardons were issued, extending relief to cases initially missed
• Expungement Reform Act (SB 432, April 2025) — Pardoned convictions are removed from Maryland’s Case Search system by January 31, 2026, ensuring that pardoned records don’t continue to appear in background checks

Moore’s pardons were not symbolic. They were designed to produce tangible results: 100,000 people with criminal records that no longer show cannabis convictions. For a state where Black residents bore the overwhelming burden of cannabis enforcement, this was the most concrete form of repair the executive branch could deliver.

Governor Wes Moore pardoned 175,000 cannabis convictions on June 17, 2024, the largest state-level cannabis pardon in American history, affecting approximately 100,000 individuals. Maryland was the first state to include paraphernalia convictions in cannabis pardons.

Office of the Governor of Maryland