HB 452 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners - Grounds for Disciplinary Action - Restrictions

HB 452 prevents Maryland's State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from suspending, revoking, reprimanding, or placing on probation a licensed veterinarian solely for discussing or recommending cannabis or cannabidiol (CBD) products for animals' therapeutic or health purposes. The bill amends disciplinary rules (Section 2-310 of the Agriculture Article) to explicitly prohibit such actions based on these recommendations, directly affecting all licensed veterinarians in Maryland who may discuss these treatments with clients. The policy change takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not alter cannabis laws or veterinary medical practice standards beyond this specific disciplinary restriction.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Signed Apr 14, 2026

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What changed between versions

First - State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners - Grounds for Disciplinary Action - Restrictions → Third - State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners - Grounds for Disciplinary Action - Restrictions · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the formatting and structure of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners' disciplinary rules. It reorganizes the text to clearly define terms like 'Board' and 'License' and lists specific grounds for disciplinary action, such as incompetence, drug violations, and animal cruelty. The changes also include a new provision protecting veterinarians from discipline if they discuss or recommend cannabis use for therapeutic purposes on animals.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on veterinary medical discipline, but the applicability of the cannabis-related exemption is now explicitly codified within the disciplinary grounds section.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized the bill text to replace the repealed Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis section references with a new, integrated Article on Agriculture containing updated definitions and disciplinary rules.

REQUIREMENT

Added a specific exemption preventing the Board from disciplining a veterinarian solely for discussing or recommending the use of cannabis or CBD products on animals for therapeutic or health supplementation purposes.

DEFINITION

Clarified and renumbered the definitions of key terms such as 'Board', 'License', 'Veterinarian', and 'Veterinary practitioner' to ensure consistency throughout the statute.

ENFORCEMENT

Updated the list of grounds for disciplinary action (such as incompetence, felony convictions, and animal cruelty) to align with the new article structure, ensuring all enforcement criteria are clearly presented.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 20, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 14, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 47

executive

Apr 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

Returned Passed

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Apr 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed

upper

Apr 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Committee

Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable Adopted

lower

Feb 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation

lower

Feb 20, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (137-0-5)

house of delegates

Jan 23, 2026

Committee

First Reading Environment and Transportation

lower

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors