In his first official act as Maryland governor Thursday morning, Wes Moore continued last year’s work in the General Assembly, releasing $69 million that had been withheld by his predecessor. With the release of the funds, Maryland state agencies will begin work to create a new “green bank,” a medical leave insurance fund, and a program to provide abortion care training for more medical professionals.
Moore also released $46.5 million related to the Cannabis Reform Act, including $40 million for a Cannabis Business Assistance Fund in the Department of Commerce to support the forthcoming recreational cannabis industry, $5 million for the Cannabis Public Health Fund in the Department of Health, which could be used to fund research on cannabis legalization or for substance abuse treatment, and $1.5 million for the Criminal Justice Information System to comply with provisions of the act, including automatic expungement on July 1 of prior simple possession cases.
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