Maryland Governor Wes Moore will issue a mass pardon for over 175,000 marijuana convictions on Monday, marking one of the largest acts of clemency in the country concerning the drug, which is now widely used recreationally.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Moore described the pardons as a step towards rectifying decades of social and economic injustice that disproportionately affected people of color.
“I’m thrilled that with what I’m signing, we have a genuine opportunity to correct many historical injustices,” Moore said. “If we want to foster inclusive economic growth, we need to start dismantling the barriers that continue to disproportionately impact communities of color.”
According to The Post, nine other states and numerous cities have pardoned hundreds of thousands of prior marijuana convictions in recent years, but Moore’s actions will significantly impact communities of color due to Maryland’s severe history of disproportionately incarcerating Black individuals.
The article also pointed out that the pardons coincide with Juneteenth celebrations across the country, which commemorate the end of slavery. Moore, the sole Black governor of a U.S. state, is responsible for the pardons.
The Post added that only Massachusetts, where Governor Maura Healey granted a blanket pardon in March expected to affect hundreds of thousands of individuals, has issued a comparable measure.
The pardons will not result in the release of any individuals from prison, as they concern misdemeanor cannabis charges, which typically carry short sentences, and prosecutions for such offenses have ceased since small amounts of marijuana became legal to carry in the state.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown stated that the pardons are overdue.
“While these pardons will apply to all individuals with misdemeanor convictions for marijuana possession or paraphernalia, they will undoubtedly, and in a positive manner, disproportionately impact Black and Brown Marylanders,” Brown said in an interview with the Post.
Maryland is the only state in the D.C. area that has fully legalized cannabis sales.
