Maryland Guide

To view your current elected officials, click here.

Upcoming Election
Maryland General Election: Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Race for President
A
Jill Stein (G) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE
A
Kamala Harris (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE

Vice President Kamala Harris pledges to federally legalize marijuana, ensuring that access to cannabis is “the law of the land."

If elected, she will "break down unjust legal barriers that hold Black men and other Americans back by legalizing marijuana nationally, working with Congress to ensure that the safe cultivation, distribution, and possession of recreational marijuana is the law of the land." 

The Democratic presidential nominee’s cannabis plan to "legalize marijuana at the federal level to break down unjust legal barriers that hold Black men and other Americans back" is part of what her campaign calls an "opportunity agend." (10/14/24)

As Vice President, Harris has repeatedly stated that Americans should not be incarcerated for marijuana use. She’s championed the Biden administration’s efforts to pardon low-level marijuana offenders and to loosen certain federal cannabis restrictions. And as the Democratic presidential nominee, she’s the first major party candidate to have ever called for the plant’s legalization and regulation. 

C
Donald Trump (R) DECRIMINALIZE

Following the passage of Congressional amendments limiting the Justice Department from taking prosecutorial actions against those in legal marijuana states, Former President Trump consistently issued signing statements indicating that he believed that he had the power to disregard these amendments because he believed them to be unconstitutional. (Source)

Regarding Florida's 2024 Amendment 3, Trump said, "someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States.” (8/31/24)

Race for Vice President
A
Tim Walz (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE

Governor Walz has been an outspoken proponent of adult-use marijuana legalization and in 2019 he ordered state agencies to begin taking steps to prepare for a change in law.

C
J.D. Vance (R)

Vance was among the nine members of the Senate Banking Committee who voted in the minority against the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act in September 2023. That bill is still pending floor action, and Democratic leadership has repeatedly described it as a priority without advancing it further, but Vance said he opposed it in part because he believes it would inadvertently make it easier for illicit operators to traffic other drugs such as fentanyl. Asked about his opposition to the legislation in April 2024, the senator argued that it “was crafted in such a way that actually would have opened up access to banking resources for fentanyl traffickers and others.” There’s no clear evidence that that’s the case, but Vance has more generally discussed his concerns with the fentanyl trade on several occasions. (7/15/24)

During a campaign event with the Milwaukee Police Association in Wisconsin, Vance said he spoke to a police officer who told him that "we’ve got fentanyl in our marijuana bags that our teenagers are using," echoing a claim about laced cannabis that’s been routinely contested by advocates and certain state regulators: "Look, I’m the parent of three young kids… A seven-year-old, a four-year-old and a two-year-old. We don’t have to worry about this yet, but I’m certain—because kids are kids—that one day, one of my kids is going to take something or do something that I don’t want them to take. But I don’t want that mistake to ruin their life. I want them to learn from it. I want their parents to be able to punish them. I don’t want our kids to make mistakes on American streets and have it take their lives away from them," he said, suggesting that he recognizes when his children grow up they may experiment with certain substances such as marijuana, but he’s more concerned with potentially lethal contamination. (8/16/24)

Race for U.S. Senate
B
Angela Alsobrooks (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE
C
Larry Hogan (R) MEDICAL USE MANDATORY MINIMUMS JAIL TIME FOR POSSESSION
Race for U.S. House District 1
F
Andy Harris (R)

Andy Harris is the sponsor the DC rider that prohibits DC from spending money on cannabis legalization.

Andy Harris championed bipartisan legislation for medical marijuana research, to further explore possibilities for easing suffering and pain of loved ones.
Race for U.S. House District 4
D+
George McDermott (R)
https://redmaryland.com/2018/04/candidate-survey-george-mcdermott-congress-district-4/
Race for U.S. House District 5
A
Steny Hoyer (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE
Race for U.S. House District 7
A
Kweisi Mfume (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
Race for U.S. House District 8
A+
Jamie Raskin (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
A
Nancy Wallace (O) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
Your Elected Officials
Governor
A
Wes Moore (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE

Wes will legalize cannabis, expunge the records of anyone convicted of simple possession, and prioritize equitable access to this emerging industry.

Lieutenant Governor
A
Aruna Miller (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE

In March 2018, Miller said she supported studying alternative treatments, including ibogaine and marijuana, to help patients wean themselves from opioids

Attorney General
A
Anthony Brown (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
U.S. Senate
B
Chris Van Hollen (D) DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE

Senator Van Hollen has expressed support for protection of legal states and has made comments in support of decriminalization. 

U.S. Senate
C
Ben Cardin (D) MEDICAL USE MANDATORY MINIMUMS JAIL TIME FOR POSSESSION
Cardin is not on the record as supporting any changes in federal marijuana laws, not even medical marijuana.
U.S. House District 1
F
Andy Harris (R)

Andy Harris is the sponsor the DC rider that prohibits DC from spending money on cannabis legalization.

Andy Harris championed bipartisan legislation for medical marijuana research, to further explore possibilities for easing suffering and pain of loved ones.
U.S. House District 2
A
Dutch Ruppersberger (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE
U.S. House District 3
A
John Sarbanes (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE
U.S. House District 5
A
Steny Hoyer (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE
U.S. House District 6
A
David Trone (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
U.S. House District 7
A
Kweisi Mfume (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
U.S. House District 8
A+
Jamie Raskin (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
State Senate District 3
State Senate District 4
D-
State Senate District 6
C-
John Salling (R) DECRIMINALIZE

Responding to a 2018 questionnaire with the Baltimore Sun, Salling said that he does not support the legalization of recreational marijuana and that he only supports medical marijuana.

State Senate District 12
B
Clarence Lam (D) DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
State Senate District 13
B
State Senate District 15
B+
Brian Feldman (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE
State Senate District 16
B+
Sara Love (D)
State Senate District 20
A
William Smith (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE
State Senate District 37
B
Johnny Mautz (R) DECRIMINALIZE
State Senate District 38
D
State House District 4
D
Jesse Pippy (R)

Pippy has voted against cannabis legalization

State House District 6
B+
Robin Grammer (R)

Del. Grammer voted in favor of reducing penalties for marijuana use and sits on the state's official Marijuana Legalization Work Group

C-
Bob Long (R)

In a 2018 survey, Long stated that he supports the legalization of medical marijuana but is "personally against" legalizing recreational marijuana use; he followed that by saying that if recreational marijuana were legalized, he would want the tax revenue to go towards drug education programs.

F
State House District 12A
B
Terri Hill (D) DECRIMINALIZE
A
Jessica Feldmark (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE
State House District 17
A
Julie Palakovich Carr (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE MEDICAL USE

In the 2020 legislative session, Palakovich-Carr sponsored HB1400 (which would make possession more legal and direct marijuana tax revenue to education) as well as HB550 (which would decriminalize possession up to one ounce)

A
Kumar Barve (D) LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE
State House District 20
A
State House District 34B
F
Susan McComas (R)

Susan McComas is on the House Judiciary Committee. She has consistently voted no on cannabis legalization legislation.

State House District 37A
State House District 44A