Maryland voters will be asked this November to decide whether the Maryland Constitution should be amended to legalize marijuana for adults beginning in July 2023.
Question 4 would add a new article to the state Constitution that would allow individuals 21 years of age or older to use and possess marijuana and to authorize the Maryland General Assembly to “provide for the use, distribution, possession, regulation, and taxation of cannabis within the state.”
The Maryland Catholic Conference recognizes the concern that the enforcement of cannabis policies has had a disproportionate impact on minority and marginalized communities in the past and that legalizing marijuana has been proposed as a way to address this historic inequity.
While the harm caused by the disparate application of laws is wrong, the Maryland Catholic Conference has deep concerns with Question 4 and the legalization of recreational use of marijuana in Maryland. Recreational marijuana use will adversely affect families, communities, workers, and health outcomes. The American Medical Association (AMA) believes that cannabis is a “dangerous drug and…is a serious public health concern” and that the sale of cannabis for adult recreational use should not be legalized.[1] The social costs of legalizing recreational marijuana use far outweigh any increase in state revenues that may occur.
We implore all Catholics and people of good will to think critically about the consequences of legalizing recreational marijuana in Maryland.
[1] H-95.924 Cannabis Legalization for Adult Use (commonly referred | AMA (ama-assn.org))