On Monday, June 17, 2023, Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced a historic mass pardon for 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions, marking the most extensive state-level pardon in U.S. history. This move aims to address decades of social and economic injustice disproportionately affecting Black Marylanders.
Governor Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor, emphasized the need to rectify the “decades of harm” caused by previous drug policies. “Today, we take a big step enacting the kinds of policies that can reverse the harm of the past and help us build a brighter future,” Moore declared during the signing ceremony in Annapolis.
Cannabis-related arrests have historically targeted Black communities in Maryland, who are three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than white residents despite similar usage rates. Black individuals, who constitute 33% of Maryland’s population, represent over 70% of the state’s male prison population.
Maryland legalized adult cannabis use in 2023 following a statewide referendum, and the new pardons cover anyone with misdemeanor convictions for marijuana possession or paraphernalia. However, the pardons will not result in immediate jail releases.
Attorney General Anthony Brown likened past cannabis convictions to “modern-day shackles,” applauding the pardons as a significant step toward justice.
The action has been welcomed by criminal justice reform advocates. Jason Ortiz of the Last Prisoner Project, who was arrested for cannabis possession at 16, called the pardons a monumental moment for cannabis justice. Heather Warnken of the Center for Criminal Justice Reform at the University of Baltimore Law School noted that this represents a significant victory for both individual rights and the credibility of the justice system.
