Maryland’s Medical Marijuana Law Provides Little Relief

By Jim Crosson

In 2003, Maryland passed Senate Bill 502, which made Maryland the ninth state to “legalize” the medical use of marijuana.

Under Maryland Law, there are no provisions for patient registration, medical marijuana identification cards, caregivers, or dispensaries. In fact, you will be arrested if you are caught with any amount of marijuana in Maryland, even if you are a medical marijuana patient. Because Maryland Law lacks these provisions, it is difficult, and usually very dangerous, for patients to obtain marijuana for therapeutic purposes.

Maryland’s Law only helps the medical marijuana patient after they are arrested, when they appear in court. Then he/she has the opportunity to provide evidence of a recommendation from their physician and supporting medical records that support their doctor’s recommendation. If a patient can provide this, they are likely to get Probation Before Judgement (PBJ), which means that the patient will not receive a conviction as long as they stay out of trouble for the duration of the PBJ.