The Maryland Senate passed a bill to regulate marijuana sales on Friday as the state prepares for the launch of legalization on July 1.
Bicameral lawmakers will now work to resolve the measure’s differences with a separate version of the legislation that was approved by the House of Delegates earlier this month.
The Senate bill from Sens. Brian Feldman (D) and Antonio Hayes (D) passed on third reading on Friday in a vote of 32-12, an action that comes one day after the measure was given initial approval on the floor and days after it cleared a committee stop.
The House and Senate bills were identical when introduced, but they have both now been amended in different ways that will need to be reconciled by a conference committee made up of members of each chamber.
During the second reading consideration on Thursday, senators accepted a large-scale committee amendment that largely aligns the legislation with the House version in many respects. That includes approving numerous technical revisions, changing polices on the structure of the advisory commission and amending definitions related to delta-8 THC that could impact the state’s existing hemp industry. The definition of a social equity applicant was also changed
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