HB1066 has passed the Maryland Senate and is now headed to the Governor’s desk for signature. This marks a major milestone for the Maryland Alliance for Sensible Drug Policy: our first legislative victory!

We are deeply grateful to Delegate Sheila Ruth and her Chief of Staff, Caitlin Scanlon, for their tireless efforts over the past year to make this success possible.

Why This Bill Matters

Prohibition-based drug policies have imposed enormous—and often hidden—costs on our communities:

  • Over-incarceration has torn apart families and destabilized entire neighborhoods.

  • Criminal records for low-level drug offenses create lasting barriers to employment, housing, and education.

  • Public funds are poured into drug policing and incarceration, instead of being invested in health care, housing, and community support.

  • People in crisis are met with handcuffs instead of help—often worsening the trauma they’re already experiencing.

Despite these devastating impacts, Maryland has never undertaken a comprehensive review of the human, social, and financial consequences of drug prohibition. Until now.

It's Time to Study These Issues

HB1066 creates a new workgroup within the state’s Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access to study the real effects of criminalization. Specifically, this workgroup will examine:

  • The general availability and accessibility of treatment and recovery support services;

  • The extent to which people are directed to these services through the criminal justice system;

  • The outcomes for individuals who seek these services voluntarily vs. those referred by the criminal justice system;

  • The broader impacts of criminal justice involvement related to substance use on individuals, families, and communities;

  • The financial costs to state and local governments of drug-related arrests and incarceration;

  • And the effectiveness of voluntary vs. coerced treatment.

This isn’t just another task force—it’s an opportunity to rethink Maryland’s approach to drug use and shift the conversation toward solutions rooted in public health.

What Comes Next

As we celebrate this win, we know the work is just beginning. We must ensure that people with lived experience are in the workgroup, and that the group workgroup engages with the issues and produces actionable recommendations.

But we can't do it alone.

Join the Maryland Alliance for Sensible Drug Policy and stand with us as we push for a future where public health, not punishment, drives our drug laws.

And if you’re able, chip in today to help us keep up the fight.