Title:
Md.: Gov. O’Malley signs medical marijuana bill into law
Message:
This morning, Gov. O’Malley signed HB 1101 into law. Maryland’s new medical marijuana act represents a significant improvement in the law, if not actually a perfect one. Up until now, patients could use a physician’s recommendation for the therapeutic use of marijuana as an affirmative defense. Under the new act, patients can also qualify for protections from arrest and prosecution if they are enrolled in a program administered by one of Maryland’s teaching hospitals. The law takes effect October 1, 2013. For more information, click here.
It is not yet clear how many, if any, of the state’s teaching hospitals will initiate such a program or how long it might take to be implemented. While the future is brighter for Maryland’s medical marijuana patients, there is more work to do.
We wish to thank the sponsor of the bill, Delegate Dan Morhaim, M.D., for his ongoing commitment to establishing a medical marijuana program in Maryland. It was through his pragmatic and tireless leadership that this bill became law.
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