Maryland Governor Expands Cannabis Pardons

LOS ANGELES- Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced an additional round of approximately 6,938 pardons for individuals previously convicted of simple cannabis possession, following a 2024 executive order that granted clemency to over 175,000 convictions for similar offenses. Signed during a Juneteenth event at Bethel AME Church in Cambridge, the new pardons correct technical omissions in the state’s judiciary records and align with broader efforts to address historical inequities tied to cannabis enforcement. The initial mass pardon sought to alleviate barriers to employment, housing, and education for those affected by cannabis-related offenses no longer illegal under Maryland’s 2023 legalization of adult-use cannabis.

The administration paired the pardons with the launch of the “Just Communities” initiative, allocating up to $400 million in tax revenue toward revitalizing disadvantaged neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by discriminatory policies. Electronic court records will reflect the updated pardons within two weeks, although full expungement will require individual action in line with the state’s Expungement Reform Act. The move reflects Maryland’s broader strategy to leverage cannabis policy as a means to advance equity and reconcile past harms stemming from the war on drugs