The governor of the US state of Maryland has pardoned over 175,000 cannabis convictions, describing his action as the “most sweeping state-level pardon in any state in American history.”
Although cannabis is legal in three-quarters of the 51 US states, it remains illegal at the federal level. In May, President Joe Biden’s Justice Department recommended its reclassification to a less dangerous drug category.
In November 2022, Maryland had joined other states in voting to legalise recreational use and retail sales of cannabis. This law came into effect on 1 July 2023.
Maryland’s first black governor, Wes Moore, a Democrat, signed the pardon decree on Monday, covering convictions prior to 2023.
“This decree marks the most sweeping state-level pardon in any state in American history,” Moore said, adding “our collective action this morning will have direct implications for tens of thousands of Maryland residents.”
Many of the people who are eligible to have their record expunged up do not have to take any action. The US National Public Radio (NPR) network quotes the Governor's Office as saying that the Maryland Judiciary located the cases using its digital records, and will now begin updating those records, in a process that should take one or two weeks.
