Marijuana Advocates Bring 51-Foot Joint To Legalization Rally

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Marijuana advocates brought a 51-foot inflatable joint to an Annapolis rally on Thursday. The protesters marched outside government buildings calling on Maryland lawmakers to legalize recreational cannabis.

"There’s nothing wrong with it," cofounder of Maryland Marijuana Justice Kris Furnish said of the joint in a press release. "If it makes people feel uncomfortable, what do they think they are legislating for?"

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Legislators are considering a bill that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana for Marylanders 21 and over, Capital News Service reported. The legislation would also expunge, or seal, the records of people previously charged with cannabis crimes, journalist Catherine Scott added.

Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George's County) sponsors the proposal, known as House Bill 32 or the Inclusion, Restoration, and Rehabilitation Act of 2021.

"This is the year we are talking about equity," Lewis said at a hearing, according to the Capital News Service. "And now is the time that we pass this bill."

The legislation faces an uphill battle because it is stuck in committee. That means the House of Delegates can't vote on it until committee members give it a thumbs up.

The bill will die if the House does not approve it by the end of Monday. This is crossover day, or the date that all legislation must be passed to the other chamber.

"The legislative process has failed us, so the people have to stand up and demand that our representatives protect our interests," said Luke Jones, director of Maryland's chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "We’ve been going to Annapolis year-after-year, with the same message, and they haven’t listened to us."

A Goucher College Poll suggested that two-thirds of Marylanders support legalizing recreational marijuana. This is the highest clip since Goucher started asking about legalization in October 2013.

About three-quarters of the Democratic respondents favored legalization. Exactly half of the Republican participants support the cause.

To track the bill's progress, click here. Check out Patch's poll coverage to learn more about Marylanders' opinions on cannabis legalization.

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RELATED:

• Marijuana Legalization Proposed By MD Lawmaker
• Legalized Marijuana Use OK With Two-Thirds Of MD Residents: Poll

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