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Today Maryland Governor Wes Moore issued a mass pardon of more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, one of the nation’s most sweeping acts of this kind involving a drug that is now in widespread recreational use in nearly half of the country. These pardons will automatically forgive every misdemeanor marijuana possession charge, along with every misdemeanor paraphernalia charge tied to use or possession of marijuana. Maryland is the only state to pardon such paraphernalia charges, according to state officials.
JustLeadershipUSA President and CEO and the JustUS Coordinating Council founder DeAnna Hoskins issued the following statement: “When President Biden announced in October 2022 unconditional pardons for anyone with a federal marijuana offense, he called on state governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses, as well. Since then, only five states have issued pardons for marijuana convictions, including Massachusetts which announced in March pardons that will affect hundreds of thousands of individuals.
“These pardons are critical to economic mobility, societal equality, and full participation in democracy. For too long these low-level convictions have impacted individuals, families, and communities who have continued to bear the burden of the war on drugs.
“While we are celebrating the action Maryland’s governor is taking today, we are also renewing our call to all the other governors to answer President Biden’s charge and follow suit with issuing immediate pardons for marijuana convictions for people in their states. In most cases, they have the power, with the stroke of their pen, to take action without approval from their state legislature. As Gov. Moore has taken this step to honor the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday, we hope to see many more such announcements in the days and weeks to come.”
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
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JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.
Since 2014, JustLeadershipUSA has maintained our commitment to ensuring systems-impacted voices are at the forefront of the movement for criminal legal reform, empowering directly impacted leaders in over 45 states with the tools, resources, and connections to transform their work.
Your donation will provide crucial support for our leadership training programs, empowering future generations of leaders and propelling the work of JLUSA and our alumni as we continue to advocate and push reform on issues that matter the most in our communities.
In just 10 years, JLUSA and our network of leaders have worked to dismantle decades of harm caused by the criminal legal system.