This month, Governor Wes Moore pardoned over 175,000 prior marijuana convictions in Maryland, impacting more than 100,000 individuals. This historic action follows Maryland’s legalisation of recreational marijuana 18 months ago, with sales beginning exactly one year ago on July 1. While the pardons are a significant step, they come amid criticisms that the move is a delayed acknowledgment that marijuana legalisation isn’t inherently about social justice and that the presence of pot profiteers isn’t necessary to end the criminalisation of small marijuana possession.

Moore’s decision to pardon these convictions is commendable, addressing charges related to low-level possession and paraphernalia, much like President Joe Biden’s 2022 federal pardons for low-level marijuana possession. However, despite being called “the most sweeping state level pardon in any state in American history,” these pardons will not release anyone from prison or expunge criminal records. This highlights the complex debate between marijuana criminalisation and the full-scale legalisation of potent THC drugs, with many arguing that decriminalisation, rather than commercialisation, could address criminal justice concerns without endorsing a profit-driven marijuana industry.

Source: Baltimore Sun