Headline Roundup • June 17th, 2024
Maryland Governor Pardons Over 175,000 Cannabis and Paraphernalia Convictions
Criminal Justice,Pardons,Marijuana,Marijuana Legalization,Criminal Justice Reform,Race And Racism,Wes Moore,Democratic Party,War On Drugs,Drug Policy
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed an executive order pardoning roughly 175,000 cannabis and drug paraphernalia criminal convictions.
For Context: The move aims to rectify racial disparities that arose from drug enforcement policies, as well as remove barriers that have disproportionately impacted communities of color. Civil rights and advocacy organizations, including the NAACP and the Last Prisoner Project, have celebrated the order.
Key Quote: In a series of social media posts on Monday, Moore stated, “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. When it comes to cannabis, rolling out one of the best and most equitable legal markets in the country is important, but that rollout must go hand-in-hand with pardoning past conduct. And Maryland is going to lead by example.”
For Context: Moore’s executive order removes the mark from court records within two weeks and from criminal background checks within ten months, but the convictions will still appear in public records. Other states, including Oregon, Massachusetts, and Illinois, have also granted pardons for cannabis-related offenses.
How the Media Covered It: USA TODAY (Lean Left bias) emphasized the socio-economic implications of the move, giving prominence to the rectification of racial disparities because of drug enforcement policies. The Daily Caller (Right bias) took on a slightly more critical tone, mentioning the fact that Moore himself held shares in a cannabis company doing business in Maryland. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Andrew Craft / USA TODAY Network
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed a sweeping executive order Monday issuing pardons for more than 175,000 marijuana and drug paraphernalia convictions.
The mass order for low-level possession charges will be given to nearly 100,000 people, The Washington Post reported.
Moore said the decision is intended to address decades of social and economic injustice, including Marylanders of color being denied housing, employment and educational opportunities based on minor criminal records.
"We're taking actions that are intentional, that are sweeping and unapologetic," he said at a news conference early Monday.
"But there's...
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) made history Monday with a mass pardoning of more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, a move he said would changes the lives of tens of thousands of Marylanders after the state legalized recreational cannabis last year.
“We know that legalization does not turn back the clock on decades of harm that was caused by the war on drugs,” Moore said during a pardoning ceremony at the State House on Monday.
“Legalization does not erase the fact that nearly half of all drug arrests in Maryland during...
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order pardoning an estimated 175,000 of marijuana-related convictions on Monday.
Moore announced that he would pardon anyone convicted of a marijuana possession charge or a drug paraphernalia charge tied to the possession or use of marijuana at a signing ceremony Monday. The governor stressed that the pardons will help to correct what he believes to be past harms inflicted on “communities of color” through the “war on drugs,” noting that his actions coincide with the week of Juneteenth, a holiday that has...
