Hogan’s Veto of Drug Paraphernalia Decriminalization Is Bad for Public Safety

At the urging of public health professionals and harm reduction advocates during the 2021 session, the Maryland legislature approved Senate Bill 420 decriminalizing the possession of drug paraphernalia. Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to veto that bill flies in the face of the expertise of those same public health professionals and harm reduction advocates. His action constitutes a failure to meaningfully respond to the calls to abolish hyper-criminalization in policing, reimagine public safety in our society and address the crisis of accidental fatal drug overdoses in Maryland.