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As the U.S. appears poised to remove cannabis from the most restrictive class of drugs—opening up significantly more marketing potential for the category—the governor of Maryland signed a sweeping pardon for 175,000 residents convicted of minor weed offenses.
The move, announced on Monday, comes amid heightened attention in a presidential election year and a sea change in American attitudes about cannabis: more than 70% of people polled think it should be legal, a leap from 50% a decade ago, per Gallup. So far, 38 states have legalized weed for medical sales, while 24—including Maryland—allow recreational sales.
During a news conference and on his social accounts, Maryland’s democratic Gov. Wes Moore called his action “the most sweeping state-level pardon” in the country’s history. Timed to coincide with Juneteenth, the national holiday marking the end of slavery, the order aims to clear the records of those caught up in the war on drugs, which disproportionately targeted communities of color.
“We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization,” Moore said.
While its far-reaching approach grabbed headlines, Maryland is leaning into an ongoing trend. Officials in several states—with California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois leading the way—have pardoned hundreds of thousands of low-level cannabis offenders over the past several years. Those executive orders line up with Pres. Joe Biden’s 2022 pardon of some 6,500 federal convictions for non-violent weed possession and similar charges.
‘The Pen to Right History’
The effort in Maryland, which launched recreational sales last summer, includes a symbolic reference to a pro bono campaign from McCann New York for the Last Prisoner Project.
To pass the clemency order, Moore signed his name with the hero prop from the agency’s mini-documentary called “The Pen To Right History.” The emotional long-form PSA focused on both personal stories and systemic ills, urging the public to lobby their elected officials for criminal justice reform and the release of cannabis inmates. (The number is estimated at 40,000 nationwide).
That particular pen has a considerable amount of mileage on it—LPP says it has been used by family members around the country to plead for clemency for their loved ones. And Moore’s order serves as a challenge to other governors to follow suit, according to LPP’s executive director Sarah Gersten.