Yes, marijuana is legal in Ocean City, MD for adults 21 and older, but where you use it is tightly restricted. You can possess it, buy it at a licensed dispensary, and carry it around town within the state’s personal-use limits. What you cannot do is smoke or vape it in public — and that includes the beach, the boardwalk, town parks, and every sidewalk in between.
What You Can Legally Have and Buy
Since July 1, 2023, any adult 21 or older can possess and use cannabis in Maryland. The personal-use amount you can carry without any criminal exposure is:1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 5-601 – Possessing or Administering Controlled Dangerous Substance
- Up to 1.5 ounces of flower
- Up to 12 grams of concentrates (vapes, wax, resin)
- Up to 750 milligrams of delta-9-THC in edibles, tinctures, or capsules
No medical card is required. Anyone 21 or older with a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID — driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, or tribal card — can buy from a licensed dispensary.2Maryland Cannabis Administration. Adult-Use Cannabis FAQs You do not need to be a Maryland resident. Out-of-state visitors can buy the same amounts, subject to the same personal-use limits.
Dispensaries operate within Ocean City’s town limits. Positive Energy, on Jerry Mack Road, is one of them.
Where You Can and Cannot Use It in Ocean City
This is where most visitors get tripped up. Possessing cannabis in Ocean City is legal. Smoking or vaping it in public is not. Maryland statewide law prohibits smoking cannabis in any public place, including outdoor spaces like parks, streets, and sidewalks, and indoor spaces open to the public like bars, restaurants, and public transportation.2Maryland Cannabis Administration. Adult-Use Cannabis FAQs
Ocean City stacks its own smoking rules on top. The boardwalk, beach access ways, dune crossings, town parks, and covered bus stop shelters are all designated smoke-free. The beach itself is smoke-free except in designated smoking areas near waste receptacles, where smoking must stay within 15 feet of the receptacle.3Town of Ocean City. Smoking Policy on the Beach and Boardwalk
That leaves private property where the owner allows it. If you’re renting a house or staying in a hotel, condo, or short-term rental, check the property’s rules before you consume anything. The Maryland Cannabis Administration specifically advises renters and HOA residents to review their agreements for cannabis restrictions.4Maryland Cannabis Administration. Smoke-free Spaces Many vacation rentals prohibit all smoking indoors regardless of what state law permits.
What About Edibles on the Boardwalk?
The state’s public consumption ban is written around smoking. Eating a gummy on the boardwalk sits in a gray area because the statute addresses smoking, not every form of consumption. Being visibly impaired in public can still draw attention, and local enforcement may take a broad view. The safe move is to consume anything, in any form, in a private setting.
Fines If You Light Up in the Wrong Spot
Smoking cannabis in a public place is a civil offense under state law. A first violation carries a fine of up to $50, and a second or subsequent offense carries a fine of up to $150.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 5-601 – Possessing or Administering Controlled Dangerous Substance
Ocean City’s own smoking ordinance carries a fine of up to $500 for smoking in prohibited zones like parks.3Town of Ocean City. Smoking Policy on the Beach and Boardwalk Smoking on the boardwalk can draw both the state civil citation and the local municipal infraction. Neither is a criminal charge, but they add up.
Carrying More Than the Limit
Going over the personal-use amount escalates fast. Between 1.5 and 2.5 ounces of flower — or the equivalent in concentrates (12 to 20 grams) or THC products (750 to 1,250 milligrams) — is a civil offense with a fine of up to $250 and no criminal record.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 5-601 – Possessing or Administering Controlled Dangerous Substance5The Maryland People’s Law Library. Recreational Cannabis Use and Possession in Maryland Above those amounts, possession becomes a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
Do Not Drive Home Impaired
Cannabis-impaired driving is treated the same as alcohol-impaired driving in Maryland. Penalties for a DUI range from a $500 fine and up to two months in jail on the low end, to as much as a $5,000 fine and five years in jail for repeat offenses or aggravating circumstances like transporting a minor.6The Maryland People’s Law Library. DUI/DWI License suspension is also possible. There is no reliable roadside test for cannabis impairment, so officers rely on observed behavior and field sobriety tests. That does not make enforcement lighter; it makes the stop less predictable.
Do Not Take It Across State Lines
Ocean City sits close to the Delaware border, and this is where visitors get themselves in real trouble. Transporting cannabis into or out of Maryland is illegal, even if you’re heading to another state where cannabis is also legal. Mailing it across state lines is also prohibited. Cannabis remains a controlled substance under federal law, and crossing a state border with it is a federal offense regardless of what either state allows.2Maryland Cannabis Administration. Adult-Use Cannabis FAQs
Whatever you buy in Maryland, use in Maryland. Don’t pack it for the drive home if home is somewhere else.