As expected, the Maryland House on Friday approved a measure that will create a legal framework and tax structure to allow recreational cannabis to be sold in stores as early as July 1. The vote in the House of Representatives was 103-32. The The invoice will now be forwarded to the Senate, which will proceed with a separate action.

Although Maryland Voters overwhelmingly approved the legalization of marijuana In the interim periods in November, lawmakers left implementation details to be decided at this session.

“They may not have approved of marijuana or the vote that our citizens cast, but they embraced it, so it’s our duty now to create a program for adult use,” he said Del. CT Wilson, the chair of the House Economic Matters Committee. “And it is our duty to ensure that Maryland residents can receive the benefits of ownership in this industry, that citizens have access to safe and effective cannabis without fear of adverse health effects or violence.”

Big support for legalization

Under the constitutional amendment, which received 67% of the vote, adults over the age of 21 can legally possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis beginning July 1. A household may also grow up to two potted plants.

The measure, passed on Friday, creates a hybrid licensing structure that allows existing medical cannabis growers, processors and dispensaries to also sell to recreational users.

governor Wes Moore has called the Cannabis Act “a well-crafted piece of legislation” and said he “looks forward to working with the legislature in the future.”

Legislators also focused on including an equity component to allow for new licenses to grow, process, or dispense cannabis. Priority will be given to minority owners in communities that have been disproportionately negatively affected by previous marijuana laws.

“We have compiled the best legal cannabis practices from other states, learned lessons from medicinal cannabis and created an equitable framework for implementation,” the House Speaker said Adrian Jones wrote in a tweet.