Ch. 442                                    2003 LAWS OF MARYLAND

CHAPTER 442
(House Bill 702)

AN ACT concerning

Darrell Putman Medical Research Compassionate Use Act

FOR the purpose of establishing the Medical Marijuana Research Program in the
Board of Physician Quality Assurance; requiring the Board to adopt certain
regulations on or before a certain date; requiring the Board to admit certain
patients into the Program under certain circumstances; requiring the Board to
adopt certain regulations governing petitions to add eligible medical conditions;
requiring the Board to develop certain evaluation forms; requiring the Board to
issue participating patient cards with certain requirements; requiring the Board
to submit certain reports on or before certain dates; prohibiting the arrest,
prosecution, or penalties for a certain medical use of marijuana under certain
circumstances; extending certain protections to certain primary caregivers
under certain circumstances; prohibiting certain physicians who provide certain
certifications for the medical use of marijuana from being subject to arrest or
criminal prosecution or denied any right or privilege; prohibiting certain
property related to the medical use of marijuana from being treated in a certain
manner under certain circumstances; prohibiting the arrest or prosecution
solely for being in the presence or vicinity of the medical use of marijuana;
establishing a certain defense and presumption; providing that authorization for
the medical use of marijuana provided under this Act does not apply under
certain circumstances; providing that insurance coverage is not required for the
medical use of marijuana; providing that accommodation of medical use of
marijuana may not be required in any place of employment; prohibiting certain
fraudulent representations; establishing certain penalties; defining certain
terms; declaring the intent of the General Assembly; allowing certain
individuals in certain marijuana prosecutions to introduce, and requiring the
court to consider as a mitigating factor, certain evidence related to medical
necessity under certain circumstances; establishing certain penalties under
certain circumstances; making the provisions of this Act severable; and
generally relating to the Medical Marijuana Research Program evidence of
certain medical necessity in marijuana-related prosecutions.

BY adding to

Article—Health—General

Section 20-801 through 20-806, inclusive, to be under the new subtitle "Subtitle
8. Medical Marijuana Research Program"

Annotated Code of Maryland

(2000 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
Article—Criminal Law
Section 5-601(a)

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