Maryland Bill To Extend Psychedelics Task Force Through 2027 Heads To Governor’s Desk

Maryland lawmakers have sent the governor a bill to extend a psychedelics task force through the end of 2027, charging it with developing updated recommendations on expanding therapeutic access to the novel substances and potentially creating a regulatory framework for broader legalization.

The House of Delegates on Thursday voted 109-24 to approve a Senate-passed version of the legislation from Sen. Brian Feldman (D). The bill next heads to the desk of Gov. Wes Moore (D) as companion House psychedelics legislation from Del. Pam Guzzone (D) awaits final action in the Senate.

Both chambers’ proposals are aimed at building upon a current law that created the Maryland Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances.

The Senate version of the bill was amended in that chamber to add a representative of a historically black college or university (HBCU) to the task force. Guzzone recently said that she wants senators to amend her bill to also add the HBCU representative so that both versions are identical, which the Senate Finance Committee did on Tuesday.

The psychedelics panel released an initial final report to state lawmakers last year, with recommendations for the phased implementation of a wide range of reforms to provide legal therapeutic access to substances such as psilocybin.

Members of the task force have already advised that it was ultimately recommending a “multi-pathway framework for safe, broad, and equitable access to natural psychedelic substances, with an initial focus on psilocybin.”

The psychedelics task force was formed following the governor’s signing of a pair of bills into law in 2024. The 17-person body, overseen by the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA), was charged with studying how to ensure “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state.

SB 336 and HB 427 would continue that work, maintaining the panel through December 31, 2027. In the interim, the task force would be required to submit an updated report to legislators with additional findings and recommendations by October 31 of this year.

Beyond the extended timeline for the task force to study and develop the new report, the current law would not change under the legislation.

The multi-step regulatory framework that members recommended last year “involves phased implementation of complementary elements from medical/therapeutic use and supervised adult use, to deprioritization, and to commercial sales,” the earlier report said. “This model broadly and inclusively serves the needs of Maryland’s diverse population while enabling unified safety standards, accountability, and viable economic pathways for small businesses.”

The first phase of the plan would be to create an advisory board to establish safety parameters, data monitoring, practice guidelines, licensing protections, public education campaigns, training for facilitators, law enforcement and testing facilities, as well as “immediate restorative justice measures,” the report states.

Under phase two, the state would implement “deprioritization measures” to mitigate the harms of criminalization, provide for supervised medical and adult-use consumption facilities, allow personal cultivation for “permitted individuals” and promote research processes.

Finally, phase three would be contingent on the “demonstrated safety outcomes and provider confidence” based on the prior steps. Should those factors be satisfied, the last phase would lead to a commercial sales program for adults “who maintain an active license to use natural psychedelic substances,” coupled with an evaluation of the state’s “readiness for expanding to additional natural psychedelic substances.”

“Safety and oversight measures ensure responsible and gradual expansion of access while maintaining capacity to identify and respond to emerging issues swiftly,” the report said. “This approach plans for long-term learning and improvement: starting small, utilizing built-in evaluation and accountability mechanisms from the outset, gathering real-world data, and committing to an iterative approach to policymaking.”

Notably, the task force said it did not support “delaying state action pending future federal [Food and Drug Administration] approval.”

“The Task Force recognizes that implementing such a comprehensive framework requires careful sequencing and coordination, with particular attention to scope of practice issues that may significantly affect the viability and safety of different pathways. However, the order of implementation must carefully consider professional regulatory frameworks and safety concerns raised by medical organizations and health care providers. The Task Force’s recommendation for simultaneous implementation of multiple pathways does not mean that all components must activate on the exact same day, but rather that Maryland should avoid the sequential approach seen in other jurisdictions where implementing one pathway causes others to ‘languish,’and/or bolster black and gray markets.”

Rather, the task force said, the multi-phase approach to psychedelics reform “establishes foundational systems that support all pathways equally, followed by a coordinated launch of medical, supervised adult use, and deprioritization pathways, with commercial sales following once product safety systems are operational.”

Members also said that the model envisioned could be used by other states to develop their own laws that “adapt to their own circumstances and values.”At this point, the task force is only looking at psilocybin, mescaline and DMT.

While the legislature empowered members to investigate potential regulations for other psychedelic substances, they decided to take a more conservative approach in their initial work.

As originally introduced, the House version of the task force legislation contained more prescriptive requirements to explore and issue recommendations on aspects of psychedelics policy such as “systems to support statewide online sales of natural psychedelic substances with home delivery” and “testing and packaging requirements for products containing natural psychedelic substances with clear and accurate labeling of potency.” That language was ultimately removed, however.

The task force legislation advanced about two years after a different law took effect creating a state fund to provide “cost-free” access to psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine for military veterans suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

—Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.—

Meanwhile Maryland lawmakers are also advancing legislation to protect firefighters and rescue workers from being penalized over their lawful use of medical marijuana off the job after hearing testimony on the unique need to give emergency service professionals the option to use cannabis as an alternative treatment for health conditions that commonly afflict the first responder community.

Legislators are also considered a bill to protect the gun rights of medical marijuana patients in the state.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee discussed the legislation from Del. Robin Grammer (R), who has sponsored multiple versions of the cannabis and gun rights measure over recent sessions, but they have not yet advanced to enactment.

Image courtesy of CostaPPR.

Pennsylvania Governor Says Legalizing Marijuana Will Raise Revenue To Support Kids And Public Safety Programs

Pennsylvania’s governor is increasing pressure on lawmakers to send him a bill to legalize marijuana in the state, saying that doing so would generate new revenue that could be invested in key programs.

“While some in Harrisburg claim we can’t afford to make bigger investments in our kids, public safety, and our economy, know this: If we legalized and regulated adult-use cannabis, we’d bring in $1.3 BILLION in revenue for our Commonwealth over the first five years,” Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said in a social media post on Tuesday.

“Those are dollars that can be invested back into our people and our communities,” he said. “Stop with the excuses. Let’s get this done.”

Earlier this year, the governor again included marijuana legalization in his budget request to lawmakers, but so far the legislature has not enacted the reform.

The Democratic-House of Representatives last year passed a bill to legalize marijuana and put sales in state-owned dispensaries, but the Republican Senate majority has criticized that plan while also not advancing a cannabis legalization model of its own.

While some in Harrisburg claim we can’t afford to make bigger investments in our kids, public safety, and our economy, know this:

If we legalized and regulated adult-use cannabis, we’d bring in $1.3 BILLION in revenue for our Commonwealth over the first five years.

Those are…

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 7, 2026

The state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) reported in February that legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania would generate nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue by 2028, an estimate that is a significantly larger cash windfall compared to projections from Shapiro’s own office.

With a proposed 20 percent wholesale cannabis excise tax, 6 percent state sales tax for retail and licensing fees, IFO said the governor’s legalization plan would generate $140 million in tax revenue in the first year of implementation from 2027-2028 and increase to $432 million by 2030-2031.

That’s a much higher revenue estimate than what the governor’s office put forward in the latest executive budget. According to his office’s analysis, legalization would generate about $36.9 million in tax dollars in its first year from a 20 percent wholesale tax on marijuana—rising gradually to $223.8 million by 2030-2031.

Meanwhile, a recent Quinnipiac University Poll found that a majority of Pennsylvania voters say they’re ready for the state to legalize adult-use marijuana.

In February, a coalition of drug policy and civil liberties organizations urged Shapiro to play a leadership role in convening legislative leaders to get the job done on cannabis legalization this session.

Last month, the Senate Law and Justice Committee amended and approved a bill to create a Cannabis Control Board (CCB) to oversee the state’s medical marijuana program and intoxicating hemp products and that could eventually regulate adult-use cannabis if it is legalized in the state.

Idaho Lawmakers Approve Resolution Asking Voters To Reject Medical Cannabis Ballot Measure

The Idaho House of Representatives has joined the Senate in approving a resolution urging voters to “reject” an effort to place an initiative to legalize medical marijuana on the state’s November ballot.

The measure, sponsored by the Senate State Affairs Committee, claims that cannabis legalization in other states has led to a host of harms, including “increased cartel activity, development of black market marijuana production, human trafficking, and increased crime rates” as well as “increased rates of serious health issues,” environmental harms and “safety concerns on job sites.”

After passing the Senate in a voice vote earlier last week, SCR 127 cleared the House on Wednesday in a 58-9 vote. It argues that the marijuana initiative would not only increase costs to the state but that its list of approved medical conditions is “so broad that almost anyone could qualify.”

“The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act lacks safeguards to such an extent that it would effectively legalize widespread recreational use of marijuana,” the resolution claims. “The legalization of marijuana would have devastating impacts on Idaho children and their families… The Legislature urges the citizens of Idaho to reject any effort to bring the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act to the ballot.”

A statement of purpose filed with the legislation says it “addresses the devastating impact that legalizing marijuana has had on other states” and “identifies the significant problems” with the ballot initiative.

The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho (NMAI), which is leading the effort to place the legalization measure before voters this November, has pushed back against the resolution.

“Idahoans deserve to vote on this issue, and we are confident we will be able to get it in front of them this November to do just that,” Amanda Watson, a spokesperson for the group, said in a press release last month when the resolution was filed. “There are thousands of people across Idaho with stories like Dr. Tunney’s and they deserve dignified care and the option to choose an alternative to opioids. NMAI has operating field offices in every corner of the state and we are actively recruiting more team members in Coeur d’Alene, Meridian, Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello and Idaho Falls. We are not taking our foot off the gas until the final bell rings.”

Contrary to the claims made about marijuana reform in the legislative resolution, advocates often point to data showing that legalizing and regulating cannabis diminishes the size of the illegal market and has not led to increases in youth use.

Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen (R) said in a House State Affairs Committee hearing ahead of the floor vote that “I have traveled not only this country but across the globe, and I’m here to tell you everywhere that they have legalized marijuana, you see much more homelessness, you see people that are just completely out of it, and it is not something I want to see in Idaho.”

Rep. Jaron Crane (R) compared places with legal marijuana access to Idaho’s biggest city.

“It feels different walking in downtown Portland and Seattle than it does walking in Boise,” he said, KIVI-TV reported. “The cost will definitely always be higher than the benefit of projected tax revenue.”

NMAI recently released an analysis showing that Idaho could see more than $100 million worth of medical marijuana sold on an annual basis and up to $28 million in new yearly revenue for state coffers if voters  approve the legalization initiative.

The group also announced that it’s collected enough signatures for the cannabis measure to exceed the statewide threshold for ballot qualification. But because it’s unclear how many signatures the campaign has collected to far are valid and whether activists have met a separate requirement for regional distribution of petitions, NMAI is continuing to hold signature gathering events across the state to widen their coalition of supporters in the run-up to the May 1 submission deadline.

Amanda Watson, NMAI’s communications lead, told Marijuana Moment last month that organizers “feel very confident we will qualify for the ballot in November.”

As of Monday, NMAI has collected more than 77,000 signatures total—exceeding the 70,725 statewide requirement for valid petitions—according to the campaign’s website. To be certified for the ballot, the team also needs to submit signatures from 6 percent of registered voters from at least 18 of the state’s 35 legislative districts.

Meanwhile, teams of paid and volunteer petitioners are being deployed throughout the state to target high-traffic areas to gather signatures, and NMAI’s website features a map showing where registered voters can go to sign.

The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act, which NMAI unveiled last October, would provide patients with qualifying conditions access to marijuana from a limited number of dispensaries and provide a regulatory framework for the market.

Here are the main provisions of the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act:

• Health practitioners would be able to recommend medical cannabis to patients with conditions that include, but are not limited to, cancer, anxiety and acute pain.

• Medical marijuana patients or their designated caregiver could purchase up to 113 grams of smokeable cannabis, or 20 grams of THC extract for vaping, per month.

• The state would be start by issuing three vertically integrated cannabis business licenses, after which point it could license up to six total.

• Marijuana would be reclassified under state law as a Schedule II, rather than Schedule I, controlled substance.

• State and local law enforcement would be barred from assisting in federal drug enforcement activities related to the state-legal cannabis program.

• There would be anti-discrimination protections for those who use or sell marijuana in compliance from state law, preventing adverse actions by employers, landlords and educational institutions.

• It does not appear that there would be any equity-centered reforms, nor would the initiative provide for a home grow option.

“We believe Idahoans deserve access to legal, compassionate, natural care right here at home,” NMAI’s website says. “Our mission is to give patients a legal pathway to natural medicine that can ease suffering and restore dignity without the fear of addiction.”

“The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act is our first step forward. It creates a safe, tightly regulated medical program that allows qualified Idahoans to seek medical cannabis treatment with a valid diagnosis from a healthcare provider,” it says. “It supports Idaho agriculture, generates tax revenue to reinvest locally, and ensures that patients can find natural relief.”

The campaign in February also released the results of a statewide poll showing that 83 percent of likely voters back medical cannabis legalization, including 74 percent of Republicans, 95 percent of Democrats and 92 percent of independents.

Asked how they would vote if the current medical cannabis legalization does appear on the November ballot, 76 percent of respondents said “yes.” Of that cohort, 50 percent said they would “definitively” vote yes, and just 21 percent said they’d vote “no.”

After the medical cannabis initiative was unveiled last year, a separate campaign that launched in 2024, Kind Idaho, told supporters that it would be suspending its own signature gathering for a ballot initiative to legalize the personal possession and cultivation of marijuana by adults.

Kind Idaho previously introduced medical marijuana ballot measures intended to go before voters in both the 2022 and 2024 elections, but the efforts proved unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, voters this year will see a different kind of proposal on the ballot: A constitutional amendment that the legislature approved to make it so only lawmakers could legalize marijuana or other controlled substances.

—Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.—

Legislators separately held a hearing last March to discuss a bill to enact medical cannabis legalization legislatively, but there hasn’t been meaningful action on the issue in the months since.

Separately, a bill from Rep. Bruce Skaug (R) last year would have set a $420 mandatory minimum fine for cannabis possession, removing judges’ discretion to apply lower penalties. Skaug said the bill, which ultimately stalled in committee, would send the message that Idaho is tough on marijuana.

House lawmakers also passed a bill to ban marijuana advertisements, though the Senate later defeated the measure.

Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.