Maryland pardons 175,000 marijuana convictions

The governor of #Maryland has pardoned more than 175,000 low-level #marijuana convictions in an action he said sought to address the disproportionate impact of state drug policies on people of colour. The mass pardon by Wes Moore, the Democrat governor, Wes Moore, comes after Maryland residents voted in November 2022 to legalise adult use of marijuana through a ballot referendum. Mr Moore said the executive order was the “most sweeping state-level pardon“ in American history during a speech at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. After signing the executive order, the governor later photographed embracing Shiloh Jordan, who had previously been convicted of a minor cannabis offence. #uspolitics #crime #news