In historic move, Maryland Governor Wes Moore issues pardons for over 175K misdemeanor cannabis convictions

Gov. Wes Moore issued more than 175,000 pardons for misdemeanor cannabis possession and use convictions Monday morning — one of the largest state-issued pardons in United States history.

“We’ll be clear: This is just a step — this is not a conclusion,” Moore, a Democrat, said in a interview Monday morning. “You have to be able to right these wrongs in order for the right steps to be made.”

The pardons apply to over 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for cannabis possession and more than 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.

Marylanders voted on an overwhelming margin to approve recreational use cannabis for adults during the 2022 general election. Cannabis officially became legalized in the state on July 1, 2023. [Read More @ The Baltimore Sun]