The post The Right To Grow Industrial Hemp Could Be Coming To Maryland appeared first on High Times.
Cannabis laws in Maryland have been gradually evolving over the past few years. In the latest developments, the right to grow industrial hemp could be coming to Maryland. This change could pave the way for a stronger medical program and additional research.
Industrial Hemp in Maryland
Earlier today, the Maryland House of Delegates voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp. The measure won by a landslide 136-1 majority.
From here, the bill will now move onto the Senate. As the Associated Press reported, the measure would allow farmers in the state to grow hemp as long as they do so in partnership with a university or a state agency.
Today’s winning vote is the latest development in Maryland’s legal framework for cannabis. Back in 2012, the state approved a legal medical marijuana program. But it took several years before the program was up and running. It wasn’t until the end of 2017 that medical cannabis dispensaries were finally able to sell products.
Also during 2017, the state took steps to boost its production of medical cannabis. Throughout the second half of last year, state regulators approved three additional growers and two new cannabis processing facilities. Under the state’s medical marijuana laws, there can be up to 15 growers in Maryland.
Along with changes on the medical marijuana front, the state has also made some minor adjustments for laws governing recreational cannabis use. Most importantly, the state decriminalized marijuana possession back in 2014.
Since the 2014 change, people caught with 10 grams