On Monday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore issued a landmark pardon for 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions, marking the most extensive state-level pardon in American history.
Governor Moore, the state’s first Black governor, emphasized that the move aims to address the social and economic injustices that have disproportionately affected Black communities.
His decision seeks to rectify the “decades of harm” inflicted by discriminatory drug policies that have hindered access to housing, education, and employment for many African Americans.
Moore highlighted that nearly half of all state drug arrests in the early 2000s were for cannabis, with Black residents being three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis-related offenses than white residents. Despite Black individuals making up 33 percent of Maryland’s population, they account for over 70 percent of the state’s male incarcerated population.
“Today, we take a big step enacting the kinds of policies that can reverse the harm of the past and to help us to work together to build a brighter future,” Moore said during the signing ceremony in Annapolis.
He described the pardons, which affect approximately 100,000 people, as a “sweeping and unapologetic” effort to eliminate criminal justice inequities as more states relax marijuana laws.
Maryland legalized cannabis for adults in 2023 following a statewide referendum. The pardons will apply to anyone with a misdemeanor conviction for marijuana possession or paraphernalia.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown added, “The data shows the deeply rooted bias in drug-related arrests and sentencing. Cannabis convictions for hundreds of thousands of people here in Maryland were Scarlet Letters, modern-day shackles. This morning, I can almost hear the clanging of those shackles falling to the floor.”
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While the pardons will not result in the immediate release of any prisoners, they are a significant step towards criminal justice reform. Activists like Jason Ortiz of the Last Prisoner Project praised the action, noting its profound impact on individuals’ lives and its role in addressing historical racial disparities.
Heather Warnken, executive director at the Center for Criminal Justice Reform at the University of Baltimore Law School, hailed the pardons as a “win for thousands of Marylanders getting a fresh start” and a victory for the justice system’s legitimacy.
She added, “We celebrate the justice and dignity and restoration that it represents and, filled with that momentum, tomorrow, we keep forging ahead.”
