# 2022 Maryland Question 4

Elections in Maryland :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1788–89
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
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1844
1848
1852
1856
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Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2016
2020
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2008
2012
2016
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2024
U.S. Senate elections
1788
1790
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1861
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1874
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1986
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1992
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2010
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2022
2024
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1789
1790
1791
3rd sp
1792
1793
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1794
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3rd sp
1796
2nd sp
3rd sp
1798
7th sp
1801
1802
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1803
1804
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1806
7th sp
1808
1810
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1811
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1812
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1818
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1824
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1829
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1833
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1st sp
1835
1837
1839
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1st sp
1894
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1896
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1902
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1914
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1926
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1934
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1942
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1948
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1st sp
1972
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1974
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1982
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4th sp
2010
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7th sp
2022
2024
6th
2026 :
State government
General elections
2006
2010
2020
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2024
Gubernatorial elections
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1970
1974
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2026
Attorney General elections
1895
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Comptroller elections
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2026
Senate elections
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2014
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2022
House of Delegates elections
1982
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1990
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1998
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2022 :
County government
County executive elections
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2025 sp
2026
County offices
2006
2010
2018
2022 :
Ballot measures
1992
Question 6
2012
Question 4
Question 6
2022
Question 4
2024
Question 1 :
Annapolis
Mayoral elections
2017
2021
2025 :
Baltimore
Mayoral elections
1899
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2003–04
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Ballot measures
Question P :
Government :
vte :
Question 4 was a voter referendum to amend the Constitution of Maryland in order to legalize cannabis for adult use in Maryland. The referendum was approved overwhelmingly, with more than twice as many voters voting in favor of it than against it and winning in all but one county, on November 8, 2022. It went into effect on July 1, 2023.

## Ballot measure

The ballot measure reads as follows:
   Question 1 Constitutional Amendment
   Do you favor the legalization of the use of cannabis by an individual who is at least 21 years of age on or after July 1, 2023, in the State of Maryland?
The choices read as follows:
   For the Constitutional Amendment Against the Constitutional Amendment

## History

On July 16, 2021, State House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones created a committee to draft a referendum on legalization to place on the ballot in 2022. Around December 25, the chairman of the state House Cannabis Referendum and Legalization Workgroup, Luke Clippinger, pre-filed House Bill 1 for the 2022 session, to initiate the citizen referendum in 2022 that would create a constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis. The referendum bill and accompanying bill implementing legalization, House Bill 837 received public testimony and were discussed by the House Judiciary Committee on February 14, 2022. House Bill 1 was passed 96–34 by the House of Delegates on February 25. This bill was contingent on passage of the ballot referendum in the November 2022 election, whereby it would legalize recreational use of cannabis possession and use on or after July 1, 2023. The constitutional referendum and the legalization bill were both passed by the Maryland Senate on April 1. Senate Finance Committee hearings on the bills began on March 23.
Voters approved the referendum on November 8, 2022, with 67.2% of voters and 23 of 24 counties and county-equivalents (all but Garrett County) in favor. It fully took effect on July 1, 2023.

## Provisions

The bill provides for adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1+1⁄2 ounces (43 g) of marijuana and decriminalize possession of amounts greater than that up to 2+1⁄2 ounces (71 g). This bill would also establish a Cannabis Business Assistance Fund to support equity initiatives for minority- and women-owned businesses. That fund would go toward incubator and educational programs to promote participation in the industry by people most impacted by criminalization. The bill would also automatically expunge prior criminal convictions for conduct made legal under the proposed law.
Between January 1 and July 1, 2023, possession of up to 1.5 ounces was to be a civil infraction subject to a $100 fine, as provided by House Bill 837.

## Opinion polls

On Question 4
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Yes | No | Other | Undecided |
| OpinionWorks | October 20–23, 2022 | 989 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 63% | 25% | – | 12% |
| University of Maryland | September 22–27, 2022 | 810 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 73% | 23% | – | 4% |
| Victoria Research | September 11–19, 2022 | 762 (RV) | ± 3.7% | 69% | 20% | 2% | 8% |
| Goucher College | September 8–12, 2022 | 748 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 59% | 34% | – | 7% |
On whether recreational marijuana should be legal
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Yes | No | Other | Undecided |
| Goucher College | March 1–6, 2022 | 635 (A) | ± 3.9% | 62% | 34% | 1% | 3% |
| Goucher College | October 14–20, 2021 | 700 (A) | ± 3.7% | 60% | 33% | 3% | 4% |
| Gonzales Research (D) | May 17–22, 2021 | 301 (LV) | ± 5.8% | 69% | 24% | 7% | – |
| Goucher College | February 23–28, 2021 | 725 (A) | ± 3.6% | 67% | 28% | 1% | 4% |

## Results

2022 Maryland Question 4 :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 1,302,180 | 67.20 |
| No | 635,580 | 32.80 |
| Total votes | 1,937,760 | 100.00 |
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections

### By county

By county :
Breakdown of voting by county :
| County | Yes | Yes | No | No | Margin | Margin | Total Votes |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total Votes |
| Allegany | 11,973 | 58.0% | 8,683 | 42.0% | 3,290 | 15.9% | 20,656 |
| Anne Arundel | 137,461 | 65.4% | 72,579 | 34.6% | 64,882 | 30.9% | 210,040 |
| Baltimore City | 111,227 | 78.9% | 29,718 | 21.1% | 81,509 | 57.8% | 140,945 |
| Baltimore | 176,358 | 66.4% | 89,073 | 33.6% | 87,285 | 32.9% | 265,431 |
| Calvert | 21,640 | 60.2% | 14,301 | 39.8% | 7,339 | 20.4% | 35,941 |
| Caroline | 6,154 | 59.9% | 4,112 | 40.1% | 2,042 | 19.9% | 10,266 |
| Carroll | 41,499 | 59.4% | 28,334 | 40.6% | 13,165 | 18.9% | 69,883 |
| Cecil | 19,435 | 61.1% | 12,349 | 38.9% | 7,086 | 22.3% | 31,784 |
| Charles | 34,198 | 65.3% | 18,204 | 34.7% | 15,994 | 30.5% | 52,402 |
| Dorchester | 6,575 | 60.6% | 4,267 | 39.4% | 2,308 | 21.3% | 10,842 |
| Frederick | 66,991 | 64.9% | 36,210 | 35.1% | 30,781 | 29.8% | 103,201 |
| Garrett | 5,394 | 49.4% | 5,528 | 50.6% | -134 | -1.2% | 10,992 |
| Harford | 61,813 | 61.2% | 39,255 | 38.8% | 22,558 | 22.3% | 101,068 |
| Howard | 84,666 | 66.5 | 42,651 | 33.5% | 42,015 | 33.0% | 127,317 |
| Kent | 5,293 | 65.6% | 2,775 | 34.4% | 2,518 | 31.2% | 8,068 |
| Montgomery | 238,861 | 72.3% | 91,310 | 27.7% | 147,551 | 44.7% | 330,171 |
| Prince George's | 164,177 | 72.1% | 63,686 | 27.9% | 100,491 | 44.1% | 227,863 |
| Queen Anne's | 13,161 | 59.3% | 9,033 | 40.7% | 4,128 | 18.6% | 22,194 |
| St. Mary's | 21,182 | 58.2% | 15,184 | 41.8% | 5,998 | 16.5% | 36,366 |
| Somerset | 3,712 | 58.6% | 2,620 | 41.4% | 1,092 | 17.2% | 6,332 |
| Talbot | 10,459 | 61.3% | 6,598 | 38.7% | 3,861 | 22.6% | 17,057 |
| Washington | 27,501 | 59.0% | 19,134 | 41.0% | 8,367 | 17.9% | 46,635 |
| Wicomico | 18,313 | 62.0% | 11,226 | 38.0% | 7,087 | 24.0% | 29,539 |
| Worcester | 14,118 | 61.8% | 8,742 | 38.2% | 5,376 | 23.5% | 22,860 |
| Total | 1,302,161 | 67.20% | 635,572 | 32.80% | 666,589 | 34.40% | 1,937,733 |