Maryland Governor Wes Moore has proposed a series of budget-balancing tax increases, including increasing the tax rate on licensed marijuana sales.
Governor Moore is proposing an increase in the state’s marijuana excise tax from 9%, to 15%, marking an increase of 66%.
Despite such a significant increase, it appears that a strong majority of voters approve the move. According to a recent Washington Post – University of Maryland poll, 60% of voters in the state support the move, with 34% opposed and 6% unsure. This was tied for the most popular among Governor Moore’s proposals.
Specifically, survey participants were asked:
As you may know, the Maryland government is expected to have a $3 billion budget deficit in the coming year. Would you support or oppose each of the following to address the budget deficit:
Raising taxes on cannabis from 9% to 15
The poll was conducted between Janury 24 to 28, 2025, and included 1,002 Maryland registered voters with an error margin of +/- 3.3%.
Even if Maryland does increase its marijuana tax to 15%, it will still be well below some of the highest marijuana tax rates in the US: For example, in Washington State, the marijuana excise tax is 37%.
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