Is It A Crime To Have Weed, Pot, Marijuana in Maryland?

Marijuana Possession

The biggest change this year is the decriminalization of marijuana.  As of October 1st, it is no longer a crime to possess less than 10 grams of marijuana in Maryland.  While possessing marijuana in the past could have landed the offender up to 90 days in jail and a permanent criminal record, possessing less than 10 grams of marijuana is now only punishable by a maximum fine of $100, and is considered a civil infraction, rather than a criminal offense. As Attorney Eric T. Kirk will tell you.

Civil infractions will not appear in the public judiciary case search, a database that lists individuals’ criminal offenses, traffic citations, and other civil violations.  It has been rumored Baltimore police have adopted a policy of not searching people suspected of possessing small amounts of marijuana, perhaps indicating that they are not going to be actively enforcing the fine.

There is one glaring flaw in the new treatment:  possession of marijuana paraphernalia is still technically considered a criminal offense.  This means that, although you can’t be charged with a crime for possessing small amounts of marijuana, you could be held criminally liable for the bag that it was held in or a pipe that was used to consume it.

Revenge Porn

With the proliferation of camera phones with immediate access to the internet, there are a growing number of people who have had their personal, suggestive photographs distributed online against their will. Because of cases in which a former sexual partner distributed nude photographs of an individual without their consent, with the intention of embarrassing or shaming them, Maryland has now made it illegal to do so.  Called the “revenge porn” statute, violating this new law can result in up to two years in jail and a $5,000 fine.