BALTIMORE – With just weeks before midterm elections in Maryland, those in favor of the legalization of recreational marijuana are doubling down their efforts to get voters to vote “Yes” on Question Four.
The “Yes On 4” campaign, Chaired by former Baltimore Raven Eugene Monroe held a news conference Thursday.
“It is important that although the polling is strong that we continue to amplify the voice of this campaign,” Monroe said.
MORE: WJZ voter’s guide
Question Four would legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 and up in Maryland next year.
The state would join 19 others and Washington, D.C. that have already legalized marijuana.
Recent polls show most Marylanders are in favor, including ones we spoke with in Baltimore.
“Why criminalize people for something that has been used for generations?” Baltimore resident Steven Lee said.
WJZ has been staying on this issue, covering both sides, since it was put on the ballot earlier this year.
We’ve talked to people who are against Question Four, primarily because they worry how it will affect those under 21.
“The problem with young people getting so much access to THC is that their brains are still developing,” Mark Marchione, from Baltimore County, said.
“Yes On Four” campaign members hope passing the ballot question will give people who have been convicted of minor drug crimes a second chance.
“The income and the revenue from it can change communities and greatly impact those who have been wrongly persecuted for years during the war on drugs,” Maryland NORML Executive Director Losia Nyankale said.