Maryland Gov. Wes Moore set to issue 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions

By BRIAN WITTE
Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is scheduled to sign an executive order to issue 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions. The Washington Post reports the order to be unveiled Monday will forgive low-level marijuana possession charges for an estimated 100,000 people. The newspaper reports the Democratic governer says he sees the order as an opportunity “to right a lot of historical wrongs.” Recreational cannabis was legalized in Maryland in 2023 after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022. Now, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis.