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Weed legalization in Maryland: How we got here

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Weed legalization in Maryland: How we got here


BALTIMORE – Recreational use of marijuana will finally be legal this weekend in Maryland.

It has been a long-time coming for advocates of legal weed use

And while the debate has been going back and forth for years, it became more real on November 8, 2022.

And come midnight on July 1, 2023, Maryland will be the 20th state, with Washington, D.C., to have legalized marijuana.

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Here’s how we got here:

July 1, 2023: Recreational marijuana will become legal in Maryland. Adults ages 21 and older will be able to legally possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis.

The possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana will no longer levy a criminal charge.

Instead, a person will have to pay a civil penalty of $250.


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Maryland legalizes recreational marijuana

02:36

The law also creates a process for expunging all cases in which possession of fewer than 10 grams of cannabis is the only charge, along with additional expungement provisions, according to the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission.   

May 11, 2023: The Baltimore County Police Department began training officers to spot weed impairment behind the wheel. 

The training is called “The Green Lab” and was held at the Chesapeake Region Safety Council in Windsor Mill.

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Bongs, joints and edibles were all brought in the presence of law enforcement. 

April 12, 2023: Maryland state marijuana dispensaries spoke to WJZ News about their preparation and revenue increase they expect from recreational cannabis sale.

May 3, 2023: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation that creates licensing and tax rates to open a recreational marijuana market on July 1. 

Existing medical cannabis dispensaries will be able to have dual licenses to sell recreational marijuana. There will be additional licenses available with priority given to minority owners in communities that have been negatively affected by past marijuana laws. The tax rate will be 9%.


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The future of recreational marijuana in Maryland

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April 8, 2023: The 2023 Maryland General Assembly established rules for the recreational sale of cannabis.  

November 8, 2022: Election day, Maryland voters approved of the legalization of marijuana. Question 4 on the ballot passed 67.2 percent to 32.8 percent.  

October 20, 2022: The “Yes On 4” Campaign, chaired by former Baltimore Raven Eugene Monroe, pushed voters to vote “yes” on recreational marijuana on the ballot.

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April 1, 2022: Maryland lawmakers approved House Bill I which established a ballot referendum to legalize recreational marijuana use, leaving it in the hands of Maryland voters.

February 3, 2022: Maryland lawmakers introduced a measure to legalize recreational marijuana for adults that supporters said would put the state on a path for an equitable cannabis industry.

The bill created an implementation plan based on the findings of the House Cannabis Referendum Workgroup.  

The bill would allow Marylanders to possess up to 1.5 ounces of recreational cannabis without penalty. Possession of over 1.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis would be reduced to a civil offense rather than a misdemeanor.

The legislation also would automatically expunge the conviction of anyone previously found guilty of simple possession of marijuana if it was the only charge in the case. In addition, anyone currently held in a state prison or local jail for a cannabis conviction would be resentenced to end their term of incarceration.

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July 16, 2021: Maryland Speaker of the House Adrienne Jones announced support to include a referendum to legalize cannabis on the 2022 General Election ballot.

She said the decision stems from the criminal justice disparities that stem from the criminalization of cannabis.

A Cannabis Workgroup chaired by House Judiciary Chairman Luke Clippinger has been created, should the ballot question be approved in November 2022.

The workgroup would design the implementation for legalized cannabis in the state and will have a particular focus on marijuana-related convictions and charges.

February 24, 2021: Maryland lawmakers proposed a bill to legalize marijuana.

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HB32 was proposed to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana, referred to as cannabis in the bill, for adults 21 and older and also allow for expungement and release for individuals previously arrested or incarcerated.

Jazz Lewis, D-Prince George’s, who sponsored the bill, argued at the hearing that the bill would take the production of cannabis off of the streets to ensure safer products, while simultaneously creating jobs, helping small businesses, and bringing in potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in annual tax revenue.



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Maryland

How to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland (9/7/24): TV channel, kickoff time, live stream

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How to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland (9/7/24): TV channel, kickoff time, live stream


Michigan State got the job done in its season opener, but it wasn’t pretty as it hung on at home against Florida Atlantic. Now, it has to head on the road to open Big Ten play in what promises to be a tougher test.

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on FuboTV (free trial)

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on Sling

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on DirecTV Stream

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· Visit MLive’s Betting Home for latest odds & sportsbook promos

Michigan State is 1-0, but the road gets tougher now. The Spartans go on the road and start Big Ten play early in Week 2 with a trip to Maryland. The Terrapins have a new look this year without quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa but looked strong in their season-opener against Howard last week.

· Who: Michigan State at Maryland

· When: 3:30 p.m.

· Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland

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· Twitter: Follow Matt Wenzel

· Live updates: Beginning at 2:30 p.m. at mlive.com/spartans

· Latest line: Maryland -9.5

TV Network: Big Ten Network

Streaming options:

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· FuboTV is offering $30 off the first month for all U.S. plans. Sign up to get your favorite TV shows, live sports events, and much more

· Sling currently has an offer of $20 for the first month of subscription and has streaming coverage of live sports, news and entertainment.

· DirecTV Stream offers live sports, news and on demand TV.

Five must-reads before kickoff:

* Michigan State lost two members of its secondary, Dillon Tatum and Khalil Majeed, to long-term injuries in its season opener. The team is turning to some new faces to fill in the holes from those injuries.

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* Alex VanSumeren was once Michigan State’s top-rated recruit, but he’s been seldom seen on the field due to injuries. Now, though, he’s healthy and making his mark on the Spartans’ defensive line.

* Aidan Chiles’ 10-completion, two-interception performance in Michigan State’s season-opener was his “floor,” according to offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, who has a plan to improve the quarterback’s performance going forward.

* Jonathan Smith had a name for Week 1 in college football: overreaction Saturday. He’s cautioning fans not to put too much stock into an opening performance that likely underwhelmed many.

* The run game and discipline are two of Matt Wenzel’s five things to watch in this week’s matchup.

Michigan State

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* Passing: Aidan Chiles 10-14, 114 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT

* Rushing: Kay’ron Lynch-Adams 9 rush, 101 yards, 1 TD

* Receiving: Michael Masunas 2 rec., 29 yards, 0 TD

* Tackles: Angelo Grose 12

* Sacks: Khris Bogle 1.5

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* Interceptions: Grose, Nikai Martinez 1

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* Passing: Billy Edwards Jr. 20-27, 311 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

* Rushing: Roman Hemby 14 rush, 66 yards, 1 TD

* Receiving: Tai Felton 7 rec., 178 yards, 2 TD

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* Tackles: Glendon Miller 6

* Sacks: None

* Interceptions: Ruben Hyppolite II, Miller 1

Friday, Sept. 6

Western Illinois at Indiana

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Duke at Northwestern

Saturday, Sept. 7

Texas at Michigan, noon (FOX)

Rhode Island at Minnesota, noon (Peacock)

Bowling Green at Penn State, noon (BTN)

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Akron at Rutgers, noon (BTN)

Iowa State at Iowa, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Michigan State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)

Eastern Michigan at Washington, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)

South Dakota at Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. (FS1)

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Kansas at Illinois, 7 p.m. (FS1)

Colorado at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. (NBC)

Western Michigan at Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. (BTN)

Boise State at Oregon, 10 p.m. (Peacock)





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Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs Maryland

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Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs Maryland


COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Michigan State has an excellent chance to make a strong statement this weekend that the rebuilding job under new head coach Jonathan Smith is ahead of schedule, if the Spartans can take down 8-point favorite Maryland on Saturday.
A Michigan State victory would be a strong statement within the football industry, but maybe not as strong from a fan perspective. I’m not sure Maryland’s football brand is as respected in the state of Michigan and regionally as it should be, for a program that has gone 8-5 in the past two seasons and defeated Auburn and North Carolina State in bowl games the past two years. 
Maryland is good. The Terrapins are coming off a 50-7 victory over a weak UConn team last week. Maryland’s offense looked very good against a weak, soft, conservative UConn defense. 
Michigan State’s defense was ahead of schedule last week against a mediocre Florida Atlantic offense. Michigan State’s offense was behind schedule, experiencing inconsistent accuracy and decision-making at the quarterback position, which was somewhat understandable considering it was sophomore Aidan Chiles’ first start as a college player. MSU’s running game also lacked consistency, especially in short yardage and in the red zone. 
The big news from Maryland last week in my opinion was the excellent play of new starting quarterback Billy Edwards. The 6-foot-3, 222-pound redshirt-junior had waited behind the outgoing, record-breaking Taulia Tagovailoa for three years. Tagovailoa left Maryland as the Big Ten’s all-time passing leader. He went undrafted and is now playing in the CFL. 
Edwards looked good last week. He’s strong in the pocket, is a physical ball carrier on designed runs or scrambles. He was accurate over the middle on intermediate routes, and seemed to do a good job processing coverages, although UConn’s coverages were simple, slow and soft. 
I saw this Michigan State vs Maryland game as a swing game on the schedule prior to the season. But considering how well Edwards and his receivers looked last week, and Michigan State’s sputtering start on offense, this game goes from being a swing game to uphill slog for the Spartans.



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Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school

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Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school


One teen shot another during a dispute in a Maryland high school bathroom Friday in what authorities called an isolated incident.

The victim, a 15-year-old student at Joppatowne High School, was in serious condition after being airlifted to a hospital, the Harford County Public Schools said in a news release, citing information it received from the county sheriff’s department.

A 16-year-old student whom police identified as the shooter fled shortly afterward but was caught minutes later nearby, according to the news release. Officials said no information would be released immediately about the weapon, which had not been recovered.

The state’s attorney has said the suspect will be charged, the release said, citing Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler.

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Shortly after the shooting, the sheriff’s office asked people to avoid the area, but emphasized that the confrontation was an “isolated incident, not an active shooter.” A parent-student reunification center was established at a nearby church. More than 100 personnel responded to the high school about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore, Gahler said.

The fight happened two days after a shooter whom authorities identified as a 14-year-old student killed four people at a high school outside Atlanta. Wednesday’s attack renewed debate about safe storage laws for guns and had parents wondering how to talk to their children about school shootings and trauma.



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