Maryland passed medical-marijuana legislation in 2013, but it took until today, when Gov. O'Malley signed a new bill, for Maryland to become teh 21st MMJ state.
House delegates voted 123-13 on Mar. 17 to amend the state's law so that certified physicians would be able to direct registered patients and caregivers to licensed growers, as determined by the commission that's overseeing medical marijuana in Maryland.
On Mar. 25, a Senate committee expanded the bill to include at least two treatment centers in every legislative district (a total of 94) and removed a cap of just 10 growers for the entire state.
On Mar. 27, the Senate voted 45-1 in favor of SB 923, sponsord by Democratic Sen. Jamie B. Raskin. Gov. O'Malley is expected to sign the bill.
The previous law called for academic medical centers like Johns Hopkins to provide marijuana, but none signed on. The MMP tweeted: "We only count laws that create effective MMJ laws, which is why MD didn't count until today."
