On November 8, 2022, voters in Maryland and Missouri overwhelmingly approved ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana, becoming the 20th and 21st states to do so. And, as part of the ballot initiative in Missouri, the existing medical marijuana law was amended to include express employment protections for medical marijuana cardholders. At the same time, voters in three other states—Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota—rejected similar ballot measures.
Voters in Maryland overwhelmingly approved Question 4 with nearly 66 percent of the vote to amend the state constitution to allow for recreational marijuana use by those 21 years of age or older.
Accompanying legislation passed by the state legislature, House Bill (HB) 837, will go into effect due to the voter approval of the referendum. HB 837 specifically allows the possession and personal use of up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana or 12 grams of concentrated marijuana beginning on July 1, 2023. The bill further extends decriminalization of marijuana until that date and would provide for the expungement of criminal offenses made legal by the act. However, the bill would prohibit the smoking of marijuana in places where smoking of tobacco products is prohibited, including indoor places of employment.
Impact on Employer
Beyond generally legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes, HB 837 does little to address employer rights to prohibit employees from using recreational marijuana. As such,...
During August 2026, a series of misleading, fabricated and falsely contextualised claims circulated across social media platforms and media accounts in Bharat. The claims covered electoral rolls, ...