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Should beer and wine be sold in Maryland grocery stores?
If you've ever wondered why you can't buy beer and wine in Maryland supermarkets, you're not alone. It turns out Maryland is one of the few states that bans booze in grocery stores. However, there's now a new effort to change that. FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald has the story.
If you've ever wondered why you can't buy beer and wine in Maryland supermarkets, you're not alone. It turns out Maryland is one of the few states that bans booze in grocery stores. However, there's now a new effort to change that.
It goes back more than 40 years!
Shoppers in Maryland will tell you it’s annoying. You can buy all your groceries in one store, but you have to go to a different store to buy beer or wine.
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The retail analysts FOX 5 spoke with said it’s not only a pain, but the state is losing out on lost revenue.
Advocates are launching a statewide campaign to get lawmakers in Annapolis to allow beer and wine sales in grocery and convenience stores.
They point to a poll finding almost 80% of Marylanders support supermarket beer and wine at supermarkets. The Maryland Retailers Association told FOX 5 that, so far, over 50,000 people have called on lawmakers to make the change.
"So Maryland is one of only four states left where you cannot buy beer or wine because of a 1978 very archaic prohibition that exists in this state. It's something that we’ve been working on the past couple of years and Marylanders clearly want this," said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Association.
Support grows for bill to allow beer and wine sales in all Maryland grocery stores
Right now, you cannot buy beer or wine from just about any grocery stores in Maryland but there’s an effort underway by a Montgomery County lawmaker to change that. Delegate Lily Qi of Poolesville says it makes no sense for people to not be able to buy beer in wine in most Maryland grocery stores.
The Maryland Retailers Association just launched a new website, mdalcoholchoice.com, and they're asking shoppers to log on, send a message to their lawmakers, and then turn out in Annapolis later this month when the House and the Senate open hearings.