Topline
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order Monday that will pardon 175,000 marijuana-related convictions, a month after the Justice Department initiated the process to reclassify the substance as a Schedule III drug.
Key Facts
The executive order includes more than 150,000 cannabis possession convictions and more than 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia for charges before Jan. 1, 2023, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
An estimated 100,000 people are expected to be pardoned with the action, according to multiple outlets, and the governor’s office confirmed in a press release it is possible for individuals to have more than one conviction pardoned.
The order will not free incarcerated individuals, according to the governor’s office.
What To Watch For
Electronic dockets should be updated by state judiciary officials to reflect the pardon in two weeks, according to the governor’s office. The order also requires Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to develop a process that indicates convictions were pardoned with the executive order, according to Moore’s office. It is expected to take approximately 10 months to complete.
Crucial Quote
“This Administration has stood up what many believe is one of the most equitable and efficient adult-market cannabis rollouts of any state in history,” Moore said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “And yet, we know that legalization doesn’t turn back the clock on decades of harm caused by the War on Drugs. We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization while forgetting the consequences of criminalization.”
Tangent
In mid-March, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced she was seeking a blanket pardon for misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions, pending approval from the governor’s council. The council approved the action on April 3, and it took effect immediately.
Big Number
24. That’s how many states have legalized marijuana recreationally, according to a Feb. 29 report from Pew Research Center.
Key Background
Maryland legalized marijuana recreationally beginning July 1, 2023, after voters approved a constitutional amendment the previous November, making it the 20th state to do so. The first month of recreational marijuana sales topped $87 million, with licensed marijuana growers producing 19,582 pounds of the substance, The Washington Post reported last August. As more states legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, the federal government has also moved to reclassify it was a Schedule III drug. It is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside substances like LSD and heroin. The Justice Department proposed the reclassification in mid-May.
Biden Says Marijuana Being Reclassified As Schedule III Drug (Forbes)
Over $87 million spent on cannabis in Maryland’s first month of adult sales (The Washington Post)
Healey’s historic marijuana possession pardons approved by governor’s council (NBC Boston)
Where Is Cannabis Legal? A Guide To All 50 States (Forbes)
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