Tens of Thousands of Marylanders Receive Pardons for Cannabis Convictions

Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced over 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions on Monday, calling it the “most sweeping state-level pardon in any state.” This move aims to address past harms caused by the war on drugs.

During a news conference, Moore stated that the executive order would impact “tens of thousands of Marylanders” convicted of misdemeanors, with some individuals receiving multiple pardons through this process.

“We are taking actions that are intentional, that are sweeping and unapologetic, and this is the largest such action in our nation’s history,” Moore, a Democrat, said.

While the pardons will not lead to anyone’s release from incarceration or automatically expunge past convictions from background checks, advocates hailed the initiative for removing barriers to housing, employment, and educational opportunities for those convicted of now-legal conduct.

Heather Warnken, executive director of the University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform, described the pardons as “a win for thousands of Marylanders getting a fresh start to pursue education, employment, and other forms of economic opportunity without the stain of a criminal conviction.”

Recreational cannabis was legalized in Maryland in 2023 after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 with 67% of the vote. Maryland decriminalized possession of personal use amounts of cannabis on January 1, 2023. Now, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis.

“This is about changing how both government and society view those who have been walled off from opportunity because of broken and uneven policies,” Moore said.

Moore emphasized that “legalization does not turn back the clock on decades of harm that was caused by this war on drugs.”

He added, “It doesn’t erase the fact that Black Marylanders were three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than white Marylanders before legalization. It doesn’t erase the fact that having a conviction on your record means a harder time with everything, everything, from housing, to employment to education.”

Shiloh Jordan, who lost his job on his second day at work after a minor cannabis conviction appeared in a background check, attended the news conference. Moore noted that even though Jordan returned to college and now works for the Center for Urban Families in Baltimore, he still had the cannabis conviction on his record.

“Well today, that ends,” Moore said.

Jordan expressed his gratitude, saying that his experience could now serve as a testimony “and offer a lot of change for the people of Maryland.”

“It means a lot, because I know a lot of people that have been convicted for petty cannabis charges, and it really affected their whole way of life and their whole way of thinking,” Jordan said.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, who also attended the news conference, called the action “long overdue.”

“As a nation, we have taken far too long to correct the injustices of a system that is supposed to be just for all.”

Brown highlighted the significance of the governor’s actions, emphasizing that it was about equity.

“It’s about racial justice. While the order applies to all who meet its criteria, the impact is a triumphant victory for African Americans and other Marylanders of color who were disproportionately arrested, convicted, and sentenced for actions yesterday that are lawful today.”

The governor’s office noted that more than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of cannabis and over 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia will be affected by the order.

Now that Moore has ordered the pardons, the Maryland Judiciary will update each individual electronic docket with an entry indicating the conviction has been pardoned by the governor, a process expected to take about two weeks, according to the governor’s office.

The governor’s order also directs the state corrections department to develop a process to indicate a pardon in an individual’s criminal record, which is expected to take about 10 months to complete.

The pardons absolve individuals from the guilt of a criminal offense, and no action is required on their part to receive the pardon.

A pardon is distinct from an expungement. Although the Judiciary will note that the offense has been pardoned, it will still appear on the record. Expungement is a process that allows a person to request the court to remove certain types of court and police records from public view.