Pubdate: Mon, 09 Jan 2017
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2017 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Fenit Nirappil

LAWMAKER SCRUTINIZED OVER MEDICAL MARIJUANA TIES REMOVED FROM KEY PANEL

A Maryland state lawmaker who came under scrutiny for his ties to a
medical marijuana business while working on legislation shaping the
industry has been removed from the health committee that oversees such
bills.

Del. Dan Morhaim (D-Baltimore County), a physician, will serve on the
judiciary committee in the 90-day legislative session starting
Wednesday, following 13 years on the Health and Government Operations
Committee.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) announced the change
Monday when he released committee assignments.

Morhaim faced a probe from the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics
after The Washington Post and other outlets revealed he was consulting
a prospective medical marijuana dispensary.

He maintains he followed all applicable disclosure rules and ethics
laws. Among other things, he listed on state ethics forms that he
might do cannabis consulting, and he received clearance from the
General Assembly's ethics adviser permission to sponsor a bill
affecting the industry.

Busch's chief of staff didn't immediately explain the reasoning for
Morhaim's committee change.

In an email, Morhaim said he was looking forward to using his new
assignment to work on "a number of important issues, including
juvenile justice reform, drug law reform and harm reduction, rape kit
testing policy, update of last year's Justice Reinvestment Act, and
any changes to tort and punitive damages law."
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MAP posted-by: Matt