Maryland § 1-3A-02

§ 1-3A-02.

    (a)    The General Assembly finds that:

        (1)    the goal of regulation and taxation of cannabis in the State is to create a safe and regulated industry that benefits the public interest;

        (2)    the use of incarceration in enforcing prohibitions on the importation, manufacture, use, sale, and distribution of cannabis varied within the State by jurisdiction and racial classification;

        (3)    analysis of geographic and demographic characteristics revealed disparities in arrests, prosecution, and imprisonment for cannabis use, with a negative and disproportionate impact on some communities and neighborhoods within the State; and

        (4)    consequences of the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis–related offenses have contributed to the economic, public health, and social conditions of specific communities and have had significant and measurable effects on the social and financial resources available to the children, families, and local infrastructure of these communities.

    (b)    The General Assembly therefore finds that the public interest is served by:

        (1)    acknowledging and repairing the causes and consequences of disparities in arrests and imprisonment in prosecutions of cannabis–related offenses among specific populations and geographic regions;

        (2)    developing, among existing members of communities that have been disproportionately and negatively impacted, the capacity to ascertain and address the social and economic determinants that are fundamental to reducing the impact of longstanding inequities and improving economic, educational, and health outcomes; and

        (3)    being consistent with social equity principles and governance by allocating a significant portion of tax revenue from the adult–use cannabis market to the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund for distribution to local jurisdictions to be administered by the local jurisdictions.