On April 14, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley signed a bill into law that will set into motion the process for production and distribution of medical marijuana in the state, adding to the long list of states ignoring federal prohibition, effectively nullifying the unconstitutional federal act in limited medical situations.
House Bill 881 (HB881) creates the regulatory structure for a state-licensed medical marijuana program for qualified patients. Once the law goes into effect on June 1, the state will form a commission to draft the rules and regulations for the program. Officials say the program should be up and running by early 2015. Under the new law, dispensaries would be classified as any entity that “acquires, possesses, processes, transfers, transports, sells, distributes, dispenses, or administers marijuana, products containing food, tinctures, aerosols, oils, or ointments, or educational materials for use by a qualifying patient or a caregiver.”
“Maryland’s medical marijuana law will at long last provide patients with needed protection from arrest and prosecution, and give them a means to safely and legally obtain medical marijuana,” Americans for Safe Access Policy Director Mike Liszewski said in a press release.
By legalizing medical marijuana in the state, Maryland joins the growing number of states effectively nullifying the federal prohibition on cannabis. HB881 ignores the federal law and court cases that allow the costly and disastrous federal war on marijuana to persist. The federal government prohibits marijuana for any purpose, despite its lack of authority to do so.
“The Constitution delegates no power to the federal government to prohibit marijuana in the states. This power remains with the state governments and the people. Doubt me? Then ask yourself why it required a constitutional amendment to prohibit alcohol. There is no fundamental difference.”
As more states take marijuana policy into their own hands, the feds become increasingly incapable of enforcing its unconstitutional prohibition. The feds simply lack the resources to stop the tidal wave.
TAKE ACTION
For Maryland Residents: Take steps to support other pro-marijuana legislation in MD by clicking HERE.
For Other States: Find out if your state is working to nullify marijuana prohibition by clicking HERE. Then contact your legislators and demand that they support or introduce legislation to legalize it in your state!
