Governor Wes Moore

Maryland governor Wes Moore says his plan to issue a mass pardon of 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions will ‘right a lot of historical wrongs’.Maryland governor Wes Moore says his plan to issue a mass pardon of 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions will ‘right a lot of historical wrongs

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Monday signed an executive order pardoning more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, the governor’s office said.

Moore signed the executive order in Annapolis with state Attorney General Anthony Brown in attendance.

An estimated 100,000 individuals will be affected by the pardons, the governor’s office said in a press call Monday morning.

The pardons include 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, his office said.

The pardons reflect the number of convictions, with some individuals having more than one conviction pardoned through the executive order, the governor’s office said.

The executive order makes Maryland the first state in the U.S. to issue mass pardons on cannabis paraphernalia-related convictions, the governor’s office said. The state legalized recreational marijuana in 2023 after the passage of a constitutional amendment during the state’s 2022 legislative session.