![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-3.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Maryland House lawmakers have approved a Senate-passed bill to extend a psychedelics task force through the end of 2027 to develop updated recommendations on expanding therapeutic access to the novel drugs<\/a> and potentially creating a regulatory framework for broader legalization.<\/p>\n About a month after unanimously advancing through the Senate, members of the House Health Committee on Tuesday approved the legislation from Sen. Brian Feldman (D) and the full House signed off on second reading on Wednesday, with third reading passage expected soon.<\/p>\n The House of Delegates separately passed the chamber\u2019s own version of the bill last month<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both chambers\u2019 proposals are aimed at building upon a current law that created the Maryland Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances.<\/p>\n The Senate version of the bill was been amended in that chamber to add a representative of a historically black college or university (HBCU) to the task force. Del. Pam Guzzone (D) said on Tuesday that she wants senators to amend her bill, which is now in the other chamber, to also add the HBCU representative so that both versions will be identical.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Members of the task force have already advised that it was ultimately recommending a \u201cmulti-pathway framework for safe, broad, and equitable access to natural psychedelic substances, with an initial focus on psilocybin.\u201d<\/p>\n The\u00a0psychedelics task force was formed following Gov. Wes Moore\u2019s (D) signing of a pair of bills<\/a>\u00a0into law in 2024. The 17-person body, overseen by the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA), was charged with studying how to ensure \u201cbroad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances\u201d in the state.<\/p>\n SB 336<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0HB 427<\/a>\u00a0would 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.<\/p>\n Beyond the extended timeline for the task force to study and develop the new report, the current law would not change under the legislation.<\/p>\n The multi-step regulatory framework that members recommended last year \u201cinvolves phased implementation of complementary elements from medical\/therapeutic use and supervised adult use, to deprioritization, and to commercial sales,\u201d the earlier report said. \u201cThis model broadly and inclusively serves the needs of Maryland\u2019s diverse population while enabling unified safety standards, accountability, and viable economic pathways for small businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u201cimmediate restorative justice measures,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n Under phase two, the state would implement \u201cdeprioritization measures\u201d to mitigate the harms of criminalization, provide for supervised medical and adult-use consumption facilities, allow personal cultivation for \u201cpermitted individuals\u201d and promote research processes.<\/p>\n Finally, phase three would be contingent on the \u201cdemonstrated safety outcomes and provider confidence\u201d based on the prior steps. Should those factors be satisfied, the last phase would lead to a commercial sales program for adults \u201cwho maintain an active license to use natural psychedelic substances,\u201d coupled with an evaluation of the state\u2019s \u201creadiness for expanding to additional natural psychedelic substances.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSafety and oversight measures ensure responsible and gradual expansion of access while maintaining capacity to identify and respond to emerging issues swiftly,\u201d the report said. \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Notably, the task force said it did\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0support \u201cdelaying state action pending future federal [Food and Drug Administration] approval.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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\u2019s 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 \u2018languish,\u2019and\/or bolster black and gray markets.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather, the task force said, the multi-phase approach to psychedelics reform \u201cestablishes 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Members also said that the model envisioned could be used by other states to develop their own laws that \u201cadapt to their own circumstances and values.\u201dAt this point, the task force is only looking at psilocybin, mescaline and DMT.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u201csystems to support statewide online sales of natural psychedelic substances with home delivery\u201d and \u201ctesting and packaging requirements for products containing natural psychedelic substances with clear and accurate labeling of potency.\u201d That language was ultimately removed, however.<\/p>\n The task force legislation advanced about two years after a different law took effect creating a state fund to\u00a0provide \u201ccost-free\u201d access to psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine<\/a>\u00a0for military veterans suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury.<\/p>\n \u2014 Meanwhile, earlier this month, Maryland lawmakers took up a bill to protect firefighters and rescue workers from being penalized over their lawful use of medical marijuana off the job<\/a>\u2014taking 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.<\/p>\n Legislators also considered a bill last month to protect the gun rights of medical marijuana patients in the state<\/a>.<\/p>\n Members of the House Judiciary Committee discussed the legislation from Del. Robin Grammer (R), who has\u00a0sponsored multiple versions of the cannabis and gun rights measure over recent sessions<\/a>, but they have not yet advanced to enactment.<\/p>\n Separately, a Republican congressional lawmaker representing Maryland who has built a reputation as one of the staunchest opponents of marijuana reform on Capitol Hill\u2014and whose record includes ensuring that Washington, D.C. officials are blocked from legalizing recreational cannabis sales\u2014may be at risk of being unseated in November due to redistricting in his state<\/a>.<\/p>\n Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype<\/a> and Apollo<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Maryland Lawmakers Advance Bill To Extend Psychedelics Task Force Through 2027<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Maryland House lawmakers have approved a Senate-passed bill to extend a psychedelics task force through the end of 2027 to develop updated recommendations on expanding therapeutic access to the novel drugs and potentially creating a regulatory framework for broader legalization. About a month after unanimously advancing through the Senate, membersContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":85725,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85724"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85724"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85726,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85724\/revisions\/85726"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMarijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.<\/strong>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-2.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/a>
\nLearn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\nRead More: Maryland Lawmakers Advance Bill To Extend Psychedelics Task Force Through 2027<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"