Where can I legally smoke cannabis in Maryland?

If you are 21 or older, private property you're allowed to be on, most often your own home, as long as whoever controls it hasn't banned it. Nearly everywhere public is off-limits.

Can I smoke cannabis in a parked car?

No. Maryland law bans smoking cannabis in a vehicle on a highway, moving or parked, for drivers and passengers alike. The simple rule: don't use it in a car.

Can I smoke on my apartment balcony?

Check your lease. A landlord can prohibit cannabis on the property, including a balcony. A balcony that is a common area or open to the public falls under the public-place ban.

Can my landlord stop me from smoking cannabis?

Yes. Landlords and management companies can prohibit cannabis use on their property, the same way they can ban tobacco smoking.

Does my condo or HOA control whether I can smoke cannabis?

Read your bylaws before smoking in a unit or on a balcony. A common area open to other people stays under the public-place ban. Whoever controls the property can prohibit cannabis use.

Does an on-site consumption license allow indoor smoking?

No. Maryland’s on-site consumption framework does not permit indoor smoking. It is a separate license category, not an exception allowing smoking in bars or restaurants.

Can I smoke cannabis at a bar or restaurant?

No. Smoking cannabis is prohibited in any public place, indoors or outdoors, including restaurant and bar patios and sidewalk seating. The Clean Indoor Air Act also prohibits smoking and vaping cannabis in indoor areas open to the public.

Where you can and can’t smoke cannabis in Maryland

Maryland prohibits smoking cannabis in public places, including parks, sidewalks and public transportation. Private property is subject to the owner's rules, and landlords can prohibit cannabis use. The state's Clean Indoor Air Act also restricts vaping in indoor public spaces.

Updated 2026-10-01

Public places

Maryland law prohibits smoking cannabis and hemp in any public place, meaning outdoor spaces and indoor spaces open to the public: parks, streets and sidewalks, bars and restaurants, public transportation such as buses, trains and taxis, and indoor workplaces.

Doing it anyway is a civil offense, with a fine of up to $50 for a first violation and up to $150 after that.

Cars

Drivers and passengers must not smoke cannabis in a vehicle on a highway. Criminal Law §10-125(c) makes exceptions for alcohol in certain passenger vehicles and motorhomes, but those exceptions do not apply to its cannabis-smoking prohibition. Transportation §21-903 separately prohibits drivers from smoking or consuming cannabis, including when the vehicle is stopped on a highway.

Private homes

Adults 21 and over can use cannabis on private property, including their own home. The catch is that landlords and management companies can prohibit it, so a lease that bans smoking, cannabis included, overrides your ability to use it there.

Renters and landlords

If you rent, check your lease. Landlords and management companies can prohibit cannabis use on the property.

Condos and HOAs

Condo boards and homeowners' associations set their own rules on top of state law, and those rules vary building to building. Read the bylaws before smoking in a private unit. A common area, and any place open to the public, stays off-limits under the public-place ban. Whoever controls the property can also prohibit cannabis.

Hotels

Most hotels don't allow guests to smoke cannabis in their rooms, whether or not they allow tobacco. Ask at check-in if you're unsure. Vacation rentals follow whatever the owner sets, not a statewide hotel rule.

Bars, restaurants and indoor air

The Clean Indoor Air Act, amended in 2024 to add vaping, bans smoking and vaping tobacco, cannabis or hemp products in indoor areas open to the public, including restaurants, bars, public meeting places, public vehicles and indoor workplaces. That sits on top of the general public-place ban, and it covers vape pens, not just smoke.

Consumption lounges

Maryland has a separate license category for on-site consumption establishments. That framework does not permit indoor smoking. The existence of a license category is not confirmation that a particular venue is licensed or open.

Federal land

National parks such as Assateague Island, military bases such as Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground, and federal buildings fall under federal law, where possessing cannabis is illegal whatever Maryland allows.

Every shop in our directory of licensed Maryland dispensaries comes from the state’s own license list, with hours and payment details where the shop publishes them.

Keep reading

Common questions

Where can I legally smoke cannabis in Maryland?: If you are 21 or older, private property you're allowed to be on, most often your own home, as long as whoever controls it hasn't banned it. Nearly everywhere public is off-limits.
What's the fine for smoking cannabis in public in Maryland?: Up to $50 for a first violation and up to $150 after that.
Can I smoke cannabis in a parked car?: No. Maryland law bans smoking cannabis in a vehicle on a highway, moving or parked, for drivers and passengers alike. The simple rule: don't use it in a car.
Can I smoke on my apartment balcony?: Check your lease. A landlord can prohibit cannabis on the property, including a balcony. A balcony that is a common area or open to the public falls under the public-place ban.
Can my landlord stop me from smoking cannabis?: Yes. Landlords and management companies can prohibit cannabis use on their property, the same way they can ban tobacco smoking.
Does my condo or HOA control whether I can smoke cannabis?: Read your bylaws before smoking in a unit or on a balcony. A common area open to other people stays under the public-place ban. Whoever controls the property can prohibit cannabis use.
Does an on-site consumption license allow indoor smoking?: No. Maryland’s on-site consumption framework does not permit indoor smoking. It is a separate license category, not an exception allowing smoking in bars or restaurants.
Can I smoke cannabis at a bar or restaurant?: No. Smoking cannabis is prohibited in any public place, indoors or outdoors, including restaurant and bar patios and sidewalk seating. The Clean Indoor Air Act also prohibits smoking and vaping cannabis in indoor areas open to the public.

Sources

This page is general information, not legal or medical advice. Rules change; check the sources above before acting on anything here.

Published by Weed in Maryland, an independent directory. Notice an error? Report a correction.