Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order that pardoned 175,000 marijuana convictions Monday morning.
Moore was joined by other state officials, including Attorney General Anthony Brown, at the Maryland State House in Annapolis to sign the order.
More than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of cannabis and more than 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia will be pardoned by the order, the governor’s office said.
Maryland is the first state to issue mass pardons on cannabis paraphernalia-related convictions, the governor’s office added.
The state legalized the recreational use of marijuana last year after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022.
“We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization while forgetting the consequences of criminalization,” said Moore in a statement on X. “Today, we take a big step toward enacting the kinds of policies that can reverse the harm of the past and help us build a brighter future.”
The pardons will not result in anyone being released from incarceration.
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