Maryland lawmakers want to put marijuana legalization to a public vote next year.

Speaker of the House Adrienne A. Jones announced Friday that the House of Delegates will introduce legislation early next year putting marijuana legalization on the 2022 general election ballot.

Jones also announced the formation of a 10-person cannabis workgroup that will craft regulations for legal marijuana sales should the measure be adopted by voters. The workgroup, chaired by House Judiciary Chairman Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City), will focus on licensing and oversight of marijuana sales and production, expungement of previous cannabis convictions, and equitable ownership in cannabis-related businesses, according to a press release.

“Cannabis use has had a disparate impact on people of color for too long with no real impact on public safety,” said Clippinger. “This workgroup will establish the legal frameworks necessary to fully implement legalization of marijuana and learn from the mistakes that other states have made before us.”

Maryland lawmakers failed to pass a bill earlier this year that would have legalized recreational marijuana. Adding a ballot measure to the 2022 general election would bypass the state legislature and let Marylanders choose whether to legalize cannabis for themselves. In this case, the state is conducting a legislatively referred state statute, meaning lawmakers vote on whether to put the initiative on the ballot. (In a similar fashion, last year voters approved legal sports betting in a referendum.)

Jones said that while she has personal concerns about marijuana use, especially among children and adults, the disproportionate criminalization of Black people possessing marijuana is too great an issue.

“The disparate criminal justice impact leads me to believe that the voters should have a say in the future of legalization,” Jones said.

Marijuana possession and personal use has been legal in D.C. since 2014, and lawmakers and activists are currently pushing to make recreational cannabis sales legal. (The big obstacle? A congressional ban.) Similar ballot initiatives have been used in the District to circumvent council approval for measures, including making psychedelic plants a low police priority.

In Virginia, lawmakers voted this year in favor of legalizing marijuana and recreational sales. Possession of cannabis became legal earlier this month, but recreational sales are not expected to start until 2024.

Maryland’s workgroup will begin meeting this fall.