Maryland governor announces pardons of more than 175,000 marijuana convictions
NBCJun 26
Maryland Governor Pardons Thousands of Marijuana Convictions
Above: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore delivers remarks at the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) 2024 Legislative Conference on April 24, 2024. Image copyright: Anna Moneymaker/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Monday signed an executive order pardoning more than 175K convictions related to marijuana use — which will affect approximately 100K people convicted of low-level charges, including possession.
More than 150K of the pardoned convictions are misdemeanors for possession, while 18K others are misdemeanors for use or possession to use drug paraphernalia.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Democrats are at the forefront of the national changing attitude toward marijuana — especially facing how criminalizing it has incommensurately affected communities of color. Moore's actions will go a long way toward reversing discriminatory policies and opening opportunities in housing and employment for those who have been denied them for too long.
Republican narrative
One has to wonder how much Moore's cozy relationship with the cannabis industry affects his policymaking and whether his actions will keep Maryland safe moving forward. In fact, most of the relaxed policies related to marijuana are taking hold in Democrat-run states, which means they'll be the guinea pigs for the impact this will have on public safety.