Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland signed an executive order on Monday morning that forgives more than 175,000 convictions on low-level charges related to marijuana use.
His administration said the mass pardon would probably affect about 100,000 people convicted of misdemeanor charges like possession.
Some of them have multiple convictions.
“This is a responsibility that I take very, very seriously,” Mr.
Moore said at a news conference, adding that he was acting “with deep pride and soberness.”
The move comes two days before Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War that has been celebrated by Black people since the late 1800s. President Biden signed a bill in 2021 making June 19 a federal holiday.
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