A MAJORITY IS DECLARED PET THAT GENERAL ASSEMBLY VOTE BACK IN APRIL SENT A BILL REGULATED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA USE. THE GOVERNOR WES MOORE’S DESK. AND AS OF THIS MORNING WE ARE LESS THAN ONE MONTH OUT FROM THAT LEGALIZATION TAKING EFFECT ACROSS THE STATE OF MARYLAND OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OR MAYBE A DECADE OR SO. DEFINITELY THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION HAS SHIFTED ON USE OF CANNABIS. THIS NEW LAW ALSO MEANS THOSE WITH CERTAIN MARIJUANA POSSESSION CHARGES CAN GET THEIR RECORDS EXPUNGED. COMING UP, WE SIT DOWN WITH AN EXPERT ABOUT WHO CAN QUALIFY. PLUS, WHAT GOES INTO TRAINING. MARYLAND STATE POLICE RECEIVED TO IDENTIFY DRIVERS IMPAIRED, NOT BY ALCOHOL BUT BY CANNABIS. AND LATER IN THIS MORNING’S POSITIVELY BALTIMORE. HE GREW UP IN EAST BALTIMORE, A PLACE THAT DOESN’T ALWAYS COME TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF HORSE RACING. BUT DOMINIC MERRITT HAS FOUND A HOME ON THE PIMLICO RACETRACK. SO WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, I WAS LIKE, MAN, THAT’S EXCITING. SO WHEN I FOUND OUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A RACETRACK IN BALTIMORE, WITHIN PIMLICO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET, THEY DIDN’T HESITATE ALL THE TIME. UNCLE EVERY WEEKEND AFTER SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU GO TO THE RACES ON SATURDAY? WHAT SPARKED HIS INTEREST IN LEARNING THE ROPES OF RIDING AND WHERE HE SEES HIS CAREER GOING FORWARD? THAT’S ALL THIS MORNING ON 11 TV. HILL AND HELLO, EVERYONE. I’M JASON NEWTON. WELCOME TO 11 TV. HILL IT WAS BACK IN 2014 THAT MARYLAND LEGALIZED MEDICINAL MARIJUANA. BUT COME NEXT MONTH, CANNABIS CAN BE CONSUMED FOR RECREATIONAL USE. THIS IS ALL THANKS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BILL THAT GOVERNOR MOORE SIGNED INTO LAW. SO HOW DO WE GET TO THIS POINT AND WHAT COMES NEXT? DAVID COLLINS HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY FROM INSIDE ANNAPOLIS FOR YEARS NOW AND JOINS US WITH A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BILLS. FINE PRINT. JOINING US NOW IS 11 NEWS I-TEAM REPORTER DAVID COLLINS. THANKS FOR COMING BY, DAVE. GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU TO THIS. WE’LL GET TO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF ALL THIS BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW SPECIFICS. TELL ME FIRST, HOW CAN YOU PURCHASE THIS AND WHERE CAN YOU DO THIS ONCE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA COMES ONLINE? WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU MUST BE 21 YEARS OLD OR OLDER TO PURCHASE THIS AND SHOW A VALID GOVERNMENT ID INITIALLY, YOU CAN ONLY PURCHASE IT LEGALLY THROUGH A LICENSED DISPENSARY SUCH AS A MEDICAL CANNABIS FACILITY, BUT THAT WILL CHANGE OVER TIME AS MORE LICENSES ARE GRANTED. GAS STATIONS CONVENIENCE STORES WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO SELL DELTA EIGHT, DELTA NINE AND DELTA TEN PRODUCTS. IF THE MATERIAL EXCEEDS 0.05MG OF THC OR 2.5MG OF THC PER PACKAGE, 18 TO 20 YEAR OLD MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY ARE NOT EXEMPT WHEN IT COMES TO AGE. MEDICAL CANNABIS USERS MUST STILL HAVE A MEDICAL CARD TO PURCHASE. ALSO, YOU CAN’T TRANSPORT CANNABIS BOUGHT IN MARYLAND ACROSS STATE LINES AND I ASSUME MODERATION IS A BIG THING HERE. HOW MUCH CAN YOU ACTUALLY POSSESS? AT LEAST ONE PERSON INDIVIDUALS MAY HAVE UP TO 1.5OZ, 12G OF CONCENTRATED CANNABIS OR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF CANNABIS PRODUCT THAT DOESN’T EXCEED 750MG OF THC. NOW, THOSE CAUGHT WITH MORE PERSONAL USE, MORE THAN PERSONAL USE, FACE A CIVIL FINE. HOWEVER, CRIMINAL PENALTIES OF DRUG DISTRIBUTION COULD APPLY TO THOSE POSSESSING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CANNABIS. AND SOME MAY BE SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT JULY 1ST IS THE DATE BECAUSE YOU GO AROUND SOMETIMES OUTSIDE NOW AND YOU CAN SMELL IT ABOUT EVERYWHERE YOU GO. DOESN’T REALLY MATTER. TELL ME ABOUT LIMITS TO WHERE YOU’D BE ABLE TO CONSUME CANNABIS THAT IS SO TRUE. I MEAN, EVERYWHERE I GO, IT’S LIKE, WHOA, EVEN RIGHT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. SURE. SMOKE CANNABIS IS PROHIBITED IN ANY PUBLIC PLACE OR ANY MOTOR VEHICLE. A PUBLIC PLACE INCLUDES OUTDOOR SPACES AND INDOOR SPACES, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THIS MEANS LOCAL AND NATIONAL PARKS, PUBLIC SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC STREETS, BARS, RESTAURANTS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THE NEW LAW DOES NOT ADDRESS USING CANNABIS AT THE WORKPLACE. NOW, COULD YOU GROW IT AT HOME? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU COULD DO? YOU CAN GROW IT AT HOME, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE LIMITED. THE LAW ALLOWS THOSE 21 YEARS AND OLDER TO GROW UP TO TWO PLANTS, BUT THEY MUST BE OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW. REGISTERED MECHANICAL OR REGISTERED MEDICAL PATIENTS CAN GROW AS MANY AS FOUR PLANTS, BUT KEEP IN MIND, LANDLORDS, PROPERTY OWNERS CAN PROHIBIT THE PLANTS. I THINK ONE CONCERN THAT PEOPLE HAVE AND NATURALLY IT COMES WITH ALCOHOL OR ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DEEMED HAZARDOUS, IS GETTING IN THE REACH OF CHILDREN. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT’S ADDRESSED? WELL, THERE WILL BE A MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND THIS WILL BE TO DISCOURAGE YOUTH. THERE WILL BE STRICT AGE VERIFICATIONS AT THE POINT OF SALE, CHILD RESISTANT PACKAGING AND RESTRICTIONS ON WHERE LICENSED CANNABIS FACILITIES CAN BE LOCATED. THOSE UNDER 21 COULD FACE FINES OR A COURT ORDER TO ATTEND A DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAM OR EVEN GET A REFERRAL TO GET TREATMENT. AND THERE ALSO MAY BE CRIMINAL PENALTIES DEPENDING ON ON THE AMOUNT. YEAH. AND WE’LL GET INTO THIS PART A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE SHOW. AND THAT’S EXPUNGING RECORDS. AND HERE IN BALTIMORE, THINGS CHANGE A LITTLE BIT UNDER MARILYN MOSBY, SOME OF THOSE LOW LEVEL OFFENSES, THEY DIDN’T PROSECUTE, BUT NOW FOR PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING ON THEIR RECORD FOR POSSESSION. WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? WELL, THEY HAVE A PROCESS TO GET AN EXPUNGEMENT, BUT IT’S VERY NARROW. THE NEW LAW ADDRESSES THAT. IT ESTABLISHES A PROCESS AS I MENTIONED, FOR EXPUNGING ALL CASES IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL HAD LESS THAN TEN GRAMS OF CANNABIS AND THAT WAS THE ONLY CHARGE A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY CAN BE FOUND ON THE STATE’S CANNABIS ADMINISTRATION WEBSITE, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK IT UP BECAUSE IT COVERS A LOT OF GROUND. YEAH, I HAVE A FEELING COME JULY 1ST I KNOW WHAT YOUR STORY WILL BE. DAVID COLLINS, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. NOW, WITH THE JULY FIRST START DATE JUST ONE MONTH AWAY, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE ALREADY GETTING READY. THAT INCLUDES BALTIMORE COUNTY. TOMMIE CLARK SPOKE WITH SOME COUNTY LEADERS ABOUT THE CHANGES THEY’LL NEED TO MAKE BEFORE SALES START IN 32 DAYS. RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA SALES WILL BE LEGAL IN MARYLAND. EACH COUNTY ACROSS THE STATE HAS UNTIL THAT DATE TO PUT THEIR LOCAL REGULATIONS IN PLACE. THAT PROCESS IS UNDERWAY IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, JUST CATCHING UP TO WHERE THE STATE IS. SO THAT THE FACILITIES HERE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY CAN, IN FACT, TAKE ADVANTAGE IF THEY ARE ELIGIBLE OF THE STATE LICENSES TO TO SELL RECREATIONAL CANNABIS. THAT MEANS UPDATING THE COUNTY’S EXISTING MEDICAL CANNABIS ACT. SO IT ALSO APPLIES TO RECREATIONAL SALES. THIS BILL AMENDS PROVISIONS IN THE COUNTY CODE AND ZONING REGULATIONS WE CURRENTLY REGULATE MEDICAL CANNABIS. AND WHAT WE’RE DOING NOW IS JUST BASICALLY REMOVING THE MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY FROM THE FROM THE CURRENT CODE AND REGULATIONS, ZONING REGULATIONS AND JUST LABELING A CANNABIS WHEN IT COMES TO PERMITTED AREAS IN THE COUNTY. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE STAYING LARGELY THE SAME. CANNOT DISPENSARIES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO UP WITHIN 500FT OF SCHOOLS OR DAYCARES. BUT IN ORDER TO REFLECT THE NEW STATE REGULATIONS, THE 2500FT REQUIRED DISTANCE BETWEEN DISPENSARIES WILL GET KNOCKED DOWN TO 1000FT. STILL, COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY A LOT OF QUESTIONS REMAIN. MEDICAL WAS DIFFERENT, AND NOW WE’RE MOVING INTO RECREATIONAL. AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE’RE MOVING THE STATE AT LEAST IS MOVING AT A AT A PACE THAT WE MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE READY FOR ON THE LOCAL LEVEL. ON ON A FEW DIFFERENT MATTERS.