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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS®of Maryland |
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RSC (2012-4) Drugs
Hearings on the major House bills dealing with Medical Marijuana are scheduled for this Friday, March 9, beginning at 1 p.m. Although all three bills are aimed at making marijuana available via prescription, the provisions are marginally different. See RSC 1, 2 and 3. HB 15, Maryland Medical Marijuana Act; HB 1024 Medical Marijuana Commission; and HB 1158 Medical Marijuana Oversight Commission are all to be heard jointly by the Health and Government Operations and Judiciary Committees. The cross-file of HB1158, SB 995 will be heard by Judicial Proceedings Wednesday, March 21.
One drug related bill, HB 96, Criminal Procedure – Probation Before Judgment –Subsequent Controlled Substance Crime has received a favorable report from the Judiciary Committee and has passed to Second Reading. It would authorize a court to impose probation before judgment if a defendant is required to graduate from drug court as a condition of probation.
The cross-files HB 350 and SB 214 entitled Criminal Law – Possession of Marijuana – De Minimus Quantity have been heard by both Judiciary and Judicial Proceedings with no action taken, possibly because decisions on the medical marijuana bills need to be made first. Also heard with no action are bills which would criminalize synthetic cannabinoids. See RSC 1, 2 and 3.
