Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Monday issued more than 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions, believed to be one of the country’s largest acts of cannabis clemency.

What You Need To Know

  • Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Monday issued more than 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions

  • An estimated 100,000 people will be affected by the pardons; the pardons cover 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of marijuana and more than 18,000 convictions related to paraphernalia

  • The mass pardon comes about a month after President Joe Biden announced his administration was moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous substance, a major shift in the federal government’s cannabis policy

  • In 2022, voters in Maryland overwhelmingly backed a referendum to legalize the recreational use of marijuana; the state decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis last year 

Moore signed the executive order at the state capitol in Annapolis with Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and others in attendance. All told, an estimated 100,000 people will be affected by the pardons, Moore’s office said.

In 2022, voters in Maryland overwhelmingly backed a referendum to legalize the recreational use of marijuana; the state decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use last year. While Moore hailed his state’s implementation of legalized cannabis — calling it “one of the best and most equitable legal markets in the country” — it must “go hand-in-hand with pardoning past conduct,” he said, and his state “is going to lead by example.”

"We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization," Moore, a rising star in the Democratic Party, said in remarks on Monday.

"So I want to be clear: When it comes to cannabis, rolling out one of the best and most equitable legal markets in the country is incredibly important,” he continued. “But that rollout must go hand-in-hand with pardoning past conduct, and Maryland is going to lead by example.”

"This is a big day, Maryland," Moore said. "A hard-fought victory. Not just for 175,000 Marylanders and their families, but for the soul of our state."

The pardons cover 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of marijuana and more than 18,000 convictions related to paraphernalia. None will result in anyone being released from prison.

Brown hailed the "sheer magnitude" of Moore's executive order in remarks that followed the governor's speech.

"You are wielding the immense power of your office for good," Brown said, before praising the "equity" and "racial justice" aspects of the order.

"While the order applies to all who meets 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," he added. "Today is a momentous day for Maryland."

The mass pardon comes about a month after President Joe Biden announced his administration was moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous substance, a major shift in the federal government’s cannabis policy.

The Justice Department last month submitted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to the Office of the Federal Register which proposes reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I drug — on the level with heroin, LSD and ecstasy — to Schedule III — the same level as ketamine, anabolic steroids and products with less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit, such as acetaminophen with codeine — a senior administration official said.

News of the sweeping clemency action was first reported Sunday by The Washington Post.

“I'm ecstatic that we have a real opportunity with what I'm signing to right a lot of historical wrongs,” Moore told the Post in an interview.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.