Starting October 1, Maryland will implement numerous new laws affecting driving, cannabis use, criminal justice, and health services. Key driving law changes include expanding reckless driving to cover speeds 30 mph over the limit, increasing fines for negligent and aggressive driving, and disqualifying commercial learner’s permit holders from driving commercial vehicles for a year if caught with a BAC of 0.08 or higher. Additionally, drivers can now request a notation of nonapparent disabilities like autism or PTSD on their licenses. In cannabis legislation, adults 21+ may manufacture small personal-use amounts under strict limits, felony thresholds for controlled substances are raised, and some previously convicted individuals can seek sentence modifications.

Criminal justice reforms include the Expungement Reform Act, which shortens waiting periods for expungement and removes pardoned cannabis charges from public records. The Maryland Second Look Act allows certain long-serving individuals convicted young to petition for sentence reductions, while parole decisions will now consider age and include new procedural requirements. The Organized Retail Theft Act creates a new felony for coordinated thefts across jurisdictions. In health and social services, a prescription drug repository program is established to redistribute unused medications to patients in need. These laws collectively aim to enhance public safety, reform justice processes, and improve community health resources.