The signing of #legislation legalizing #cannabis in #Maryland marks a mile post in a long strange trip for one #Republican former delegate turned #marijuana policy #advocate . Don Murphy, a former lawmaker from #Baltimore County, once sponsored legislation two decades ago that made it possible for someone arrested for #possession of the drug to argue it was for medicinal purposes.
“I was not an advocate for this,” said Murphy. “But as I watched states and the federal government say no to medical, it made me question everything about #adult use, like, what else are they lying to me about?” Overtime, Murphy’s views have evolved. The bill signed by Gov. Wes Moore on #Wednesday opens the door to Maryland’s first legal recreational sales on July 1. The bill was one of more than 180 pieces of legislation Moore signed into law Wednesday. Those bills also included protections to access to abortion in Maryland and expansions of gender-affirming #health care for #transgender persons.
The signing comes days after Moore put his financial holdings into a blind trust. The trust, valued at more than $2.5 million, includes more than 170,000 shares in a #cannabis company that does #business in Maryland.
Moore’s shares of #Chicago -based #Green Thumb Industries make up 46% of his total holdings. State law requires the trustees overseeing Moore’s holdings to reduce those shares to no more than 20% of his total portfolio.
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