Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks during a visit to SOUTH Restaurant & Jazz Club with President Joe Biden, on May 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is scheduled to sign an executive order to issue 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions at a news conference on Monday morning, June 17, 2024, a newspaper reported. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore has issued over 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions, marking the most extensive state-level pardon in the country. The executive order aims to mitigate the past injustices of the war on drugs, specifically targeting misdemeanors that have affected tens of thousands of Maryland residents.
Advocates see the executive order as a significant step toward eliminating barriers to housing, employment, and education for individuals convicted of now-legal activities.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore holds up an executive order he signed to issue more than 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions on Monday, June 17, 2024 in Annapolis, Md. Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee is seated left. Standing left to right are Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, Shiloh Jordan and Jason Ortiz, director of strategic initiatives for Last Prisoner Project. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)
Gov. Moore highlighted that the pardons address long-standing racial disparities in cannabis arrests and noted the enduring negative impacts of such convictions on individuals’ lives.
The pardons cover over 150,000 misdemeanor cannabis possession convictions and over 18,000 related paraphernalia offenses.
Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC.
