Maryland decriminalized marijuana in 2014, when Gov. Martin O’Malley signed SB 364 on April 14, making possession of less than 10 grams a civil offense with a fine of up to $100 starting October 1, 2014. It was the end of a three-year push that began with a failed 2011 bill and a 2012 law that cut the maximum jail sentence for small amounts from one year to 90 days.
What Happened
2011: HB 606 dies in committee
In February 2011, Del. Curt Anderson of Baltimore introduced House Bill 606, which would have made possession of up to about an ounce a civil citation with a $100 fine. The House Judiciary Committee heard it on February 22, 2011, but never voted on it. At the time, any possession was a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
2012: The 90-day cap
The 2012 session produced a smaller step. House Bill 350, sponsored by Del. Luke Clippinger, and its Senate cross-file, SB 214, sponsored by Sen. Jamie Raskin, set a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $500 fine for possession of less than 10 grams (Department of Legislative Services fiscal note). The 90-day line mattered more than it looked: in Maryland, a defendant facing more than 90 days can usually demand a jury trial in circuit court, so the change kept small possession cases in District Court. Lawmakers also passed SB 422, which required police to issue citations instead of arresting people for certain minor offenses, including marijuana possession (Marijuana Policy Project).
2014: SB 364 makes it a civil fine
Sen. Bobby Zirkin and Sen. Allan Kittleman, a Democrat and a Republican, sponsored SB 364. It passed the Senate 36 to 8, the House 78 to 55 with amendments, and the Senate again 34 to 8. O’Malley signed it on April 14, 2014, as Chapter 158 (Maryland General Assembly, SB 364). Possession of less than 10 grams became a civil offense: up to $100 for a first violation, $250 for a second and $500 for a third or later, plus a required drug education program and a substance abuse assessment for repeat violators (Cannabis in Maryland).
Why It Mattered
Maryland arrested people for marijuana at a high rate. The state counted 23,729 possession arrests in 2010, according to the legislature’s own fiscal analysis, and its arrest rate was among the five highest in the country, with Black residents about 2.9 times as likely to be arrested as white residents. The 2014 law came the same year the D.C. Council passed its own $25 decriminalization law. National arrest trends are in our FBI marijuana arrest data.
What Happened Next
SB 364 left a gap: it covered possession, but smoking in public and paraphernalia such as pipes and rolling papers stayed crimes. In 2016 lawmakers passed SB 517 to make both civil offenses. Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed it, and the General Assembly overrode him in January 2016. From January 1 to June 30, 2023, civil treatment expanded to less than 1.5 ounces, and on July 1, 2023, adult-use legalization took effect after voters approved Question 4 in 2022. Medical cannabis followed its own slower path, which we cover in our history of Maryland’s 2011 medical marijuana law.
Where It Stands in 2026
Adults 21 and over can legally possess and buy cannabis in Maryland, so decriminalization now matters mainly for people under 21 and amounts over the legal limit. Our Maryland marijuana laws guide has current limits and penalties.
Maryland Marijuana Decriminalization FAQ
When did Maryland decriminalize marijuana?
SB 364, signed April 14, 2014, took effect October 1, 2014, and made possession of less than 10 grams a civil offense.
What were the fines under Maryland’s 2014 law?
Up to $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second and $500 for a third or later offense, with drug education required for repeat violators.
What did Maryland’s 2012 marijuana law do?
It reduced the maximum penalty for possessing less than 10 grams from one year and $1,000 to 90 days and $500, which kept those cases out of jury trials.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.