Maryland Governor Wes Moore issued an executive order pardoning over 175,000 marijuana convictions. This sweeping action primarily affects misdemeanor charges for individuals convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana.
The pardons include more than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple cannabis possession and another 18,000 for possession or use of drug paraphernalia.,
“Today we take a big step in enacting the kinds of policies that can reverse the harm of the past and help us work together to build a brighter future,” Governor Moore stated at a press conference. “This is a really big deal.”
Governor Moore emphasized that this decision aims to address historical injustices within the criminal justice system. “This has had significant racial equity undertones in it as well, in the way we have used the criminal justice system and used cannabis policy as a cudgel against communities of color,” he said.
According to the governor’s office, Baltimore City accounts for about 25% of the pardoned convictions. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott commented, “The legacy that the war on drugs has had on our city of Baltimore – and many places around the country like it – is still visceral and tangible. Today’s action to pardon these more than 175,000 convictions is a step towards healing. For those receiving the pardons – which includes thousands upon thousands of Baltimoreans – it will be life-changing.”
Governor Moore noted that nearly half of all state drug arrests in the early 2000s were for cannabis. State officials are collaborating with the court to analyze demographic data but anticipate that Black Marylanders will be most impacted by the pardons.
Maryland legalized adult-use recreational marijuana in 2022. Including the District of Columbia, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana.
In 2022, President Biden pardoned thousands of individuals to decriminalize the drug and address racial disparities in the justice system. He also encouraged local officials to follow suit, as many states have legalized marijuana.
Recently, the Justice Department proposed reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug. Currently, marijuana is classified at the same federal level as heroin, LSD, and fentanyl.
What is a Pardon?
A pardon is an act of complete forgiveness that absolves an individual from the guilt of a criminal offense. Only the governor has the constitutional power to grant pardons. A pardon restores civil liberties lost due to a conviction but does not expunge a person’s criminal record. Expungement laws were adjusted in 2022. Wiping out marijuana-related convictions if this was the only crime on a person’s record.
How to Find Out if You Were Pardoned
No action is needed to receive the pardon. Individuals can check online or at a public courthouse kiosk to verify their inclusion in the pardon. Those eligible but not included in the mass pardon can apply through the standard process here.
