Maryland Governor Moore to Annul Over 175,000 Marijuana Convictions, According to The Washington Post
Governor Wes Moore is anticipated to absolve minor marijuana possession charges for approximately 100,000 individuals, as per The Post's reporting.
These pardons, which extend posthumously too, are set to erase every misdemeanor marijuana possession charge discoverable in Maryland's electronic court records, along with every misdemeanor paraphernalia charge associated with the use or possession of marijuana. CNN has reached out to Moore's office for further details.
"I'm thrilled that we have a genuine chance with what I'm signing to rectify many historical injustices," the Democratic governor said in an interview with The Post. "To foster inclusive economic growth, you need to eliminate these persistent barriers that disproportionately affect communities of color."
The pardons, according to The Post, are strategy-timed to coincide with Juneteenth, a holiday symbolizing the end of slavery in the U.S.
"While the pardons will benefit anyone and everyone with a misdemeanor conviction for the possession of marijuana or paraphernalia, this undeniably, without any ambiguity or reservation, advantages—in a positive manner—Black and Brown Marylanders," Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown told The Post in an interview. "We are arrested and convicted at higher rates for marijuana possession and use when the rate at which we used it was no different than any other demographic."
CNN has reached out to Brown's office for comment.
Voters in Maryland approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 permitting recreational marijuana for adults aged 21 and over, as CNN previously reported. The amendment took effect on July 1, 2023.
The perception and political stance towards cannabis, notably marijuana, has significantly evolved over the past decade.
In November 2023, a record 70% of Americans surveyed by Gallup expressed support for cannabis legalization. In 2014, the figure was only 51%.
Easing restrictions
For over half a century, marijuana has been categorized as a Schedule I substance—alongside drugs like heroin and ecstasy, deemed to have no acknowledged medical use and a high potential for abuse—and subject to the severest restrictions.
However, in April, the Biden administration proposed to reclassify marijuana as a lower-risk substance. The US Department of Justice suggested it should be rescheduled as a Schedule III controlled substance, a classification shared by prescription drugs such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine.
The recommendation followed a US Food and Drug Administration review at Biden's direction, who, in 2022, wrote to the Justice Department advocating for marijuana's reclassification.
Currently, 24 states, two territories, and DC have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, and 38 states authorize medical use of cannabis products, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. State-licensed cannabis dispensaries and retail shops are projected to generate $32.1 billion in sales this year, as per estimates from MJBiz, a cannabis industry trade publication and events organizer.
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In light of the forthcoming pardons, Governor Moore stated, "To foster inclusive economic growth, you need to eliminate these persistent barriers that disproportionately affect communities of color." Further, the pardons are expected to positively impact Black and Brown Marylanders, as highlighted by Attorney General Brown, who stated, "We are arrested and convicted at higher rates for marijuana possession and use when the rate at which we used it was no different than any other demographic."
