Maryland Income Tax - Decoupling From Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code - Depreciation and Business Interest Expenses
House Bill 880 repeals Maryland’s current prohibition on certain outdoor advertising for cannabis licensees, cannabis products, and cannabis-related services. Under the bill, cannabis businesses would no longer be barred from using outdoor advertising such as signs, posters, placards, billboards, or freestanding signboards solely because the advertising is outdoors, although the bill preserves other advertising restrictions.
The measure keeps in place limits intended to prevent youth exposure and misleading promotion. Cannabis advertisements would still be prohibited from targeting people under 21, using child-appealing imagery, depicting cannabis use, promoting intoxication, or being obscene. The bill also retains restrictions on digital and broadcast advertising unless the audience is expected to be at least 85% age 21 or older, and it requires age-screening mechanisms on cannabis-related websites and age notices on social media and mobile app ads.
The bill amends Section 36-903 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article in the Annotated Code of Maryland by deleting the specific ban on outdoor advertising for cannabis businesses and related services. It would allow cannabis licensees to place publicly visible advertising, including exterior signage and billboards, subject to the remaining content, audience, and age-verification restrictions. The bill also directs the Cannabis Administration to adopt regulations for enforcement, and it would take effect October 1, 2025.
Based on the available record, the bill appears to be a targeted regulatory change rather than a broadly controversial measure, with no recorded votes or committee testimony provided in the materials. The bill’s sponsors suggest support for easing advertising limits on a legal industry while maintaining youth-protection safeguards. The overall tone of the legislation is pragmatic and industry-oriented, with continued emphasis on responsible marketing.
The main point of contention is likely to be whether cannabis businesses should be allowed to use outdoor advertising at all, given concerns about visibility to minors and normalization of cannabis use. Supporters would likely argue that the repeal simply modernizes marketing rules and treats cannabis more like other regulated products, while opponents may worry that billboards and other public-facing ads increase exposure to youth and expand commercialization. The bill tries to address those concerns by preserving age-targeting, content, and audience-composition restrictions, but the balance between business promotion and public-health protections remains the central issue.