Maryland Governor Pardons 175,000 Marijuana Related Convictions

Posted on by Dillon Harris, Esq.

On June 17, 2024, Maryland Governor Moore signed an Executive Order granting full pardons to those persons convicted of 1) Misdemeanor possession of cannabis; or 2) Misdemeanor use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, only in cases associated with misdemeanor cannabis possession and where there were no other charges. Only offenses occurring prior to January 1, 2023 and that resulted in “guilty” or “probation before judgement (PBJ)” dispositions are eligible.

According to the Executive Order, the Governor’s Office obtained lists of qualifying convictions from the Maryland Judiciary prior to executing the Order, and according to the press release published by his office, they estimate the pardon to impact 175,000 convictions. It’s unclear if that number was calculated based on the number of charges being pardoned, or the number of people receiving pardons, but it is significant either way. As that same press release indicated that the process of notating all of the eligible records should only take 2 weeks, this change should already be reflected on the impacted case dockets. Anybody who is eligible, but did not receive the pardon automatically, is able to apply for it.

A very important detail for our readers, these convictions may or may not have triggered firearm or regulated firearm disabilities, but some of the offenses would have triggered handgun permit disabilities as offenses involving the possession or use of “controlled dangerous substances.” As the Executive Order states that “all individuals identified…are granted a FULL PARDON…absolving these persons from the guilt of their [qualifying] criminal offenses and exempting them from any pains and penalties imposed upon them therefore by law,” it would seem to me that those disabilities should be relieved.

If you have received this pardon or believe you should and want to discuss your rights or obligations following this action, contact Firearms Industry Consulting Group today to discuss YOUR rights and legal options.

Firearms Industry Consulting Group® (FICG®) is a registered trademark and division of Civil Rights Defense Firm, P.C., with rights and permissions granted to Prince Law Offices, P.C. to use in this article.

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Published by Dillon Harris, Esq.

Dillon grew up in Kingman, Arizona. During high school he got his first exposure to the legal system, spending a summer working in the Mohave County Attorney’s Office working with attorneys and office staff in various practice areas. Dillon attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice with specializations in Legal and Criminal Investigation, Legal and Court Justice, and Justice in Politics, Media, and Popular Culture. Throughout and immediately after college he held positions in both the Court Administration and Clerk of Superior Court departments of the Superior Court of Arizona in Coconino County where he was part of a team that was awarded the 2016 Strategic Agenda Award by the Arizona State Judiciary and the 2016 Merit Award by the Arizona Association of Counties. Dillon graduated cum laude from Vermont Law School and passed the Uniform Bar Exam in 2020. He is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and Maryland and handles cases in both states dealing with firearms or general estate practice. He is also admitted to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. District Courts for the District of Maryland, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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