Marylanders Granted Pardons for Marijuana Offenses

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has issued over 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions in what he calls the most extensive state-level pardon in history, aimed at addressing the impact of the war on drugs.

In a press conference, Moore stated that this executive order will impact “tens of thousands of Marylanders” with misdemeanor convictions, some possibly having more than one conviction pardoned.

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

While the pardons will not lead to any immediate release from incarceration or automatic expungement of past convictions from background checks, advocates believe it will remove barriers to housing, employment, and education based on convictions for acts that are no longer illegal.

Heather Warnken, from the University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform, praised the pardons as a way for thousands of Marylanders to begin fresh and pursue opportunities without the burden of a criminal conviction.

Recreational cannabis was legalized in Maryland in 2023 after a constitutional amendment was approved by voters in 2022. Maryland decriminalized personal use possession of cannabis on Jan. 1, 2023, joining 24 states and the District of Columbia in legalizing recreational cannabis.

“This is about changing how society and government view individuals who have been blocked from opportunities due to flawed policies,” Moore explained.

Moore emphasized that the legalization of cannabis does not erase the harm caused by decades of the war on drugs, particularly affecting Black Marylanders who were disproportionately targeted before legalization.

One individual, Shiloh Jordan, shared his story of losing a job due to a minor cannabis conviction appearing on a background check, despite now working and going back to school.

More than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple cannabis possession and over 18,000 convictions for drug paraphernalia possession will be impacted by the pardons.

Now that the pardons are ordered, the Maryland Judiciary will update each individual’s record within about two weeks, while the state corrections department will work on updating criminal records to reflect the pardons in about 10 months.

A pardon clears individuals of a criminal offense without any action required on their part, unlike an expungement which removes certain records from public view through a court process.