Social justice

On July 1, 2023, recreational marijuana became legal in Maryland. Adults over 21 years old are permitted to possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana and also to possess two pot plants. (Two plants is also the limit per household). With these changes it is important to remember that driving while impaired by marijuana is still a crime and a person who refuses a breathalyzer or after being examined by a so-called “drug recognition expert” refuses a blood test, can have his or her driver’s license suspended.

These drug recognition experts can be challenged on the ground that their testimony is insufficiently reliable to be considered by a court. As noted in an op-ed by Regi Taylor in the Baltimore Times on July 1,

Greenbelt-based attorney, Lenny Stamm, takes issue with the “scientific reliability” of methods used to identify suspected impaired drivers, particularly “assessments conducted by the state’s Drug Recognition Experts.” Stamm is an author and recognized national authority in his field, conducting seminars and lecturing widely on the DUI topic.