By Van Smith

Baltimore, Jan. 15, 2019

Regulated firearms owners in Maryland who seek certification as medical-cannibis patients are in a pickle: a handgun license requires that holders are not presently habitual users of controlled dangerous substances such as cannibis. A bill attempting to rectify this, by establishing that a person may not be denied firearms rights solely due to being a certified medical-cannibis patient, was introduced in the Maryland Senate yesterday.

The bipartisan bill – Senate Bill 97 – is co-sponsored by state Sen. Michael Hough (R-4th District) of Frederick and Carroll counties and state Sen. Bobby Zirkin (D-11th District) of Baltimore County. The two men tried it last year, too, with Senate Bill 602, but after being scheduled for a hearing nothing more came of it in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

The “Fiscal and Policy Note” for last year’s bill – the analysis of it, conducted by the Department of Legislative Services – concluded that “the bill’s changes are inconsistent with provisions of State law and may result in a violation of federal law.” Free State Cannablawg is reaching out to Hough and Zirkin, asking if they have reason to believe this year’s bill has the legs that last year’s lacked, and will update if they respond.