As voters decide whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana for adults, Question 4 on the General Election ballot, we took an in focus look at a Cannabis Reform law, that heavily depends on voters' decision.
House Bill 837 passed into law in April of this year. Governor Larry Hogan allowed the bill to become law without his signature.
The 55-page legislation changes laws in the Health code, the Tax code, the Criminal Law code and the Courts and Judicial Proceedings code, but seven of it's sections only go into effect if voters pass Question 4.
These sections cover the creation of a cannabis business assistance fund, to help "small, minority-owned and women-owned businesses entering the adult-use cannabis industry."
It also adjusts criminal law for a transition period between January 1, 2023 and July 1, 2023 to define certain amounts of cannabis and what the penalty can be for adults found in possession of this during this time.
The law would go on to limit penalties only to those under the age of 21 after July 1, 2023.
If Question 4 passes, it will also allow people who have been convicted of possession of cannabis charges to request resentencing, or expungement, depending on their circumstances.
The full law can be found here.
