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Explanation of House Bill 1453
Explanation of House Bill 1453
House Bill 1453 is a law that changes how marijuana is regulated, penalized, and taxed in Maryland. Here's what it means in simpler terms:
Key Points of the Bill
- It no longer considers using or possessing marijuana and related items as criminal acts, under certain conditions.
- It creates exceptions to prosecution for people and businesses handling marijuana under specific circumstances.
- Adults can't grow marijuana if certain conditions are not met.
- The law prohibits smoking marijuana in public places.
- Employers don't have to allow marijuana use on the job.
- Landlords can forbid marijuana-related activities on their properties.
- The act expunges certain previous marijuana convictions automatically.
- Local governments can make additional rules, as long as they don't conflict with this law.
- Businesses involved with marijuana must include safety information with their products.
Regulations and Penalties
- Retailers cannot sell marijuana to anyone under 21.
- Marijuana cannot be advertised in ways that aren't approved by state regulations.
- A tax is imposed on marijuana sold by wholesalers.
- There will be oversight of this new system by a committee, and applications for business licenses must be processed within certain timeframes.
Who Can Be Involved with Marijuana?
- Adults 21 and over can use, buy, and possess small amounts of marijuana, and they can give it to other adults without any payment.
- Businesses can apply to be official retailers or wholesalers of marijuana, and they must adhere to specific rules and regulations.
Implementation
- The Comptroller's office will manage registrations and enforce regulations related to marijuana sales and cultivation.
- Everything needs to be properly labeled, and safety inserts must be provided to help inform consumers.
Overall, this bill is about transitioning from criminal penalties to regulated, taxed, and controlled sales and use of marijuana in a way that the state government can oversee.
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