Maryland Governor Wes Moore is expected to sign an executive order Monday morning that will expunge more than 175,000 convictions related to marijuana use.
The governor said in an interview with The Washington Post published Sunday that he plans to issue a mass pardon that would likely affect about 100,000 people convicted of low-level drug possession offenses, some of whom have multiple convictions.
He said the measure was taken to coincide with the Juneteenth holiday, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War and which has been celebrated by Black people since the late 1800s. President Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021. Historically, the majority of people convicted of marijuana possession have been Black.
Maryland legalized recreational marijuana use and decriminalized possession of small amounts for personal use through a voter-approved constitutional amendment in 2022. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational use, according to the Associated Press.
Maryland joins the Biden administration, nine other states and numerous cities in taking similar steps to pardon people convicted of low-level marijuana possession, according to a report from the National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.