Last Tuesday, the Maryland General Assembly held hearings on SB 658, the Marijuana Taxation and Regulation Act of 2014. If enacted, most forms of possession or sale of small amounts of marijuana would be decriminalized.

The bill's provisions state that adults at least 21 years old may cultivate up to six plants for personal use. Personal possession of up to one ounce and smoking paraphernalia would also be made legal.

Each county would be allowed at least two retail outlets for pot. The bill sets regulations for cultivation, safety and manufacturing facilities, and no marijuana business would be allowed within 1,000 feet of any schools. There would be a tax of $50 per ounce, plus sales taxes, and it mandates a $5 million set-aside for treating drug, alcohol or tobacco abuse.

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