Marijuana is likely one of the most politicized drugs in our nation’s history. Policies adopted by the federal government decades ago have led to overcriminalization of marijuana use and stifled opportunities for better research and scientific understanding of this drug. As a result, while marijuana use has climbed, our understanding of its benefits and potential harms is incomplete. I fully support the legalization of medical marijuana because the available scientific evidence points to a clear medical benefit to patients. I supported the state’s implementation of a medical marijuana program and I’ve supported the 2018 legislative reforms to address shortcomings of the program that became clear over the past few years. That being said, I have some reservations about the full legalization of recreational marijuana. Other states that have rushed forward with legalization have experienced many challenges related to those policies. As a result, I am cautious about supporting full legalization. Some of my reservations stem from addressing health and safety concerns. As mentioned above, I don’t think we fully understand marijuana sufficiently to allow for widespread use, and the most common method of use—smoking—still carries the potential for harm. Regardless, I do want to make clear that 1) I supported legislation that decriminalized the possession of marijuana and 2) that the generation of revenue for Maryland should not be the driving reason for legalization of marijuana.

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Email: info@clarencelam.com

Web: https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/html/msa17058.html

Phone: 410-841-3653