Maryland lawmakers are meeting this week to start their 90-day legislative session to discuss topics concerning the $4.5 billion budget surplus, COVID-19, climate change and legalizing recreational marijuana.

The Democratic-controlled Maryland General Assembly will plan how to manage the surplus for the current and upcoming fiscal years, and state Senate President Bill Ferguson said they need to be careful how they approach the budget.

"I think people have heard this $4.6 billion like it's time that we can fund everything possible, but we've got to be very, very thoughtful and moderate about how we approach it, because we don't want to set ourselves up for a fiscal cliff in two to three years from now," Ferguson said.

A majority of Marylanders want to see marijuana legalized for recreational use and think the state is spending too little on public schools, according to a new Goucher College poll out Tuesday.

The poll found that 60% of Marylanders support making marijuana legal for recreational use — though that’s a decrease of seven percentage points from when the poll asked the same question in March.

“Certainly when you see a drop by seven points, it's something to keep your eye on,” said Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College, who runs the Goucher Poll. “But right now, I would say the overall picture is that the legalization of recreational cannabis remains popular in the state.”

The marijuana industry is a massive one and this substance has become very popular over the last few years. In America, a total of 18 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use and 37 states have legalized it for medical marijuana use which means that most Americans have access to marijuana. One reason why marijuana is so popular is because of the innovation in the industry and the number of products available. Brands and manufacturers like molinoglass aim for total customer satisfaction and create products like bongs, dabs, and vapes for every taste, so no matter what your preference is, the market surely has it. Every industry and market sees trends and this is no different in the cannabis industry. Read on to learn about a few upcoming trends in the marijuana industry.

In a presentation to be given at the upcoming Cannabis Science Conference East, Scott Churchill, vice president of scientific development at MCR Labs, will reveal how testing labs can help propel our scientific understanding of cannabis by offering services beyond the standard regulatory compliance testing they perform for licensed producers.

Cash-strapped governments around the country have found a silver lining in the pandemic-caused loss of tax revenue. Legalized marijuana has provided millions to state and local governments - in some cases, millions more than anticipated.

The ability to raise tax dollars has been a selling point for marijuana legalization from the beginning. Long before the state legislature approved adult-use sales, Illinois politicians hoped marijuana could help the state pay off some of its massive debt. Other states, such as Colorado, have used sales tax dollars to fund schools and public improvement projects and programs.

Yep, you read that right: you can now get paid to study cannabis! Cannatech healthcare company Veriheal just announced a $20,000 Innovation in Cannabis scholarship for students pursuing cannabis degrees. 

The scholarship first launched in 2020, but last year only gave out $10,000 in scholarship awards. This year, it has been doubled to offer 20 $1,000 scholarships to those who qualify. 

A recent poll released on Tuesday shows that two-thirds of Maryland adults support the legalization of recreational marijuana. The results of the Goucher College Poll come as the state’s lawmakers consider bills that would legalize cannabis for adults and expunge past convictions for some marijuana offenses.

State lawmakers in Maryland’s House of Delegates are considering a bill that would legalize marijuana and expunge convictions for some past cannabis offenses. The measure, House Bill 32 (HB 32), went before the House Judiciary Committee at a legislative hearing on Tuesday.

Legislators are debating whether or not to pass a bill that will increase the amount of marijuana that can be possessed, from 10 grams to 1 ounce.
This states that a person in possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, will not face criminal charges, but a civil offense.

The debate about marijuana has been on-going for years, and with some delegates coming into office who state officials say, are more progressive and this bill could have a chance to pass.

However Maryland delegate, Wayne Hartman, representing District 38 says, one of the biggest concerns that comes with allowing someone to have a larger amount of marijuana is  impaired driving, and less productivity among people who use marijuana.