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SB!364:!An!Overview!of!Marylands!Decriminalization!Law!

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On!April!14,!2014,!Maryland!Gov.!Martin!OMalley!signed!SB!364!into!law,!making!
Maryland!the!18th!state!to!decriminalize!!or,!in!two!cases,!legalize!!the!
possession!of!marijuana.!Maryland!joins!the!District!of!Columbia!in!passing!such!a!
measure!this!year,!but!will!be!the!first!state!in!the!MidMAtlantic!region!to!do!so.!
Seventeen!other!states!around!the!country!have!already!adopted!either!marijuana!
decriminalization!or!legalization!and!regulation!laws,!some!as!far!back!as!the!
1970s.!Please!note!that!the!law!does!not!take!effect!until!Oct.!1,!2014.!
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What!does!SB!364!do?!
Under!the!current!law,!the!penalty!for!possession!of!less!than!10!grams!of!marijuana!
is!a!fine!of!up!to!$500,!up!to!90!days!in!jail,!or!both.!SB!364!replaces!the!criminal!
penalties!for!less!than!10!grams!with!a!civil!fine!!similar!to!a!traffic!ticket!!of!up!
to!$100!for!a!first!offense,!and!no!jail!time.!
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Are!the!penalties!higher!for!subsequent!offenses?!
Unfortunately,!yes.!A!second!offense!is!punishable!by!a!fine!of!up!to!$250.!A!third!or!
subsequent!offense!is!punishable!by!a!fine!of!up!to!$500,!and!requires!attendance!at!
a!drug!education!program!and!a!referral!to!an!assessment!for!substance!abuse.!
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What!are!the!penalties!for!minors?!
For!minors!under!21!years!old,!the!penalty!for!the!possession!of!less!than!10!grams!
of!marijuana!is!similar!to!the!consequences!for!underage!drinking,!which!may!
include!participation!in!a!supervised!work!program!and!the!suspension!of!the!
minors!driving!license.!
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In!addition,!the!minor!will!be!required!to!attend!a!drug!education!program!and!
referred!to!an!assessment!for!substance!abuse.!
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Is!paraphernalia!decriminalized,!too?!
No.!SB!364!does!not!address!the!issue!of!paraphernalia.!Unfortunately,!the!penalties!
for!the!possession!of!paraphernalia!remain!unchanged.!
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