Maryland lawmakers consider medical marijuana access for off-duty firefighters

Proposed legislation would expand medical cannabis use protections to firefighting personnel when not on duty.

FILE — statehouse · B.D. Gilfry / CC BY-SA 2.0

Maryland lawmakers are weighing a bill that would permit off-duty firefighters to use medical marijuana, according to CBS News. The proposal appears to address workforce considerations in a state where the adult-use market has matured—121 retail outlets and 25 cultivation facilities now operate, with the market generating roughly $100 million annually across the first half of 2026.

The timing suggests a broader regulatory willingness to refine cannabis policy details. Maryland has tightened agent registration standards, eased investment rules for some businesses, and opened social-equity dispensaries in recent months, signaling incremental policy evolution alongside enforcement (the state fined Rise Joppa $100,000 in February over oversales and inventory problems).

Watch whether the bill advances and how Maryland reconciles medical-use carve-outs with workplace safety protocols—a question that may set precedent as other states contemplate occupational access exceptions.