Maryland Governor to Issue Mass Pardon for Over 175,000 Marijuana Convictions: Historical Wrongs Righted and Inclusive Economic Growth

Baltimore, Maryland United States of America
Approximately 100,00 living individuals will have low-level marijuana possession and paraphernalia charges pardoned.
Black people disproportionately impacted by marijuana-related arrests and convictions, with Black Americans three times more likely than White Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession as of 2013.
First state to pardon paraphernalia charges. Two-thirds of Maryland voters approved ballot referendum legalizing small amounts of adult-use cannabis for people 21 and older in November 2022.
Historical wrongs to be righted and inclusive economic growth expected from removing barriers in communities of color.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore to issue mass pardon for over 175,000 marijuana convictions on June 19, 2024.
Pardons will not release anyone from prison but will remove criminal records associated with these convictions.
Tax revenues collected from adult-use sales will first go to pay for state regulation and then be distributed proportionally to communities harmed by cannabis prohibition.
Maryland Governor to Issue Mass Pardon for Over 175,000 Marijuana Convictions: Historical Wrongs Righted and Inclusive Economic Growth

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced that he will issue a mass pardon for over 175,000 marijuana convictions on June 19, 2024. The pardons will include low-level marijuana possession charges and paraphernalia charges for approximately 100,00 living individuals. Moore stated that he is 'ecstatic' about the opportunity to right historical wrongs and create inclusive economic growth by removing barriers in communities of color.

Black people have historically been disproportionately impacted by marijuana-related arrests and convictions. According to a report from The Washington Post, Black Americans were more than three times more likely than White Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession nationwide as of 2013.

The pardons will not release anyone from prison because they only apply to misdemeanor marijuana possession and paraphernalia charges. However, they will remove the criminal records associated with these convictions, which can prevent individuals from securing housing, employment, education opportunities and public benefits.

Maryland is the first state to pardon such paraphernalia charges. The move comes less than two years after more than two-thirds of voters approved a ballot referendum legalizing small amounts of adult-use cannabis for people 21 and older in November 2022.

Tax revenues collected from adult-use sales will first go to pay for the state's regulation of the market and then be distributed proportionally to communities harmed by cannabis prohibition. Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown commented that the pardons disproportionately impact Black and Brown Marylanders, as they have been arrested and convicted at higher rates for marijuana possession despite similar usage rates.

The Biden administration has also taken steps to make marijuana use a less serious crime at the federal level by recommending it be rescheduled as a Schedule III controlled substance. This change would reduce the penalty for federal cannabis possession charges from a felony to a misdemeanor.


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Confidence

96%

Doubts
  • Are there any potential negative consequences or unintended consequences from this mass pardon?
  • Is the number of individuals to be pardoned an accurate representation of the total number who will benefit?

Sources

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Maryland governor to pardon 175,000 marijuana convictions in sweeping order

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Erin Cox, Sunday, 16 June 2024 23:45
  • Unique Points
    • >Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will issue a mass pardon of over 175,000 marijuana convictions on Monday.>
    • >Moore stated that criminal records have been used to deny housing, employment and education for individuals long after their sentences have been served.>
    • >Maryland is the only state to pardon such paraphernalia charges.>
    • >Derek Liggins will be among those pardoned on Monday, 16 years after his last day in prison for possessing and dealing marijuana.>
    • >Black people were more than three times more likely than White people to be arrested for marijuana possession nationwide as of 2013.>
  • Accuracy
    • Approximately 100,000 living individuals will have their low-level marijuana possession charges pardoned.
    • Governor Moore plans to sign an executive order during a State House ceremony.
    • The pardons will not clear a public court record. Only an expungement by the judicial branch can wipe someone’s conviction history.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (95%)
    The authors express their opinion that the pardons are a step to heal decades of social and economic injustice that disproportionately harms Black and Brown people. They also state that criminal records have been used to deny housing, employment and education for people holding these records, which is an issue that disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities. The authors use language like 'historical wrongs' and 'right a lot of historical wrongs' to describe the pardons. These statements demonstrate a clear bias towards the perspective that the pardons are necessary to address past injustices against Black and Brown communities.
    • Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will issue a mass pardon of more than 175,000 marijuana convictions Monday morning, one of the nation’s most sweeping acts of clemency involving a drug now in widespread recreational use. The pardons will forgive low-level marijuana possession charges for an estimated 100,000 people in what the Democratic governor said is a step to heal decades of social and economic injustice that disproportionately harms Black and Brown people.
      • Moore noted criminal records have been used to deny housing, employment and education, holding people and their families back long after their sentences have been served.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      99%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Maryland Gov. Moore to pardon more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, Washington Post reports

      CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Michelle Watson Monday, 17 June 2024 02:53
      • Unique Points
        • Maryland Governor Wes Moore is expected to issue pardons for over 175,000 marijuana convictions on June 19, 2023.
        • The pardons will include low-level marijuana possession charges and paraphernalia charges for about 100,00 living individuals.
        • Governor Moore stated that he is ‘ecstatic’ about the opportunity to right historical wrongs and create inclusive economic growth by removing barriers in communities of color.
        • Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown commented that the pardons disproportionately impact Black and Brown Marylanders, as they have been arrested and convicted at higher rates for marijuana possession despite similar usage rates.
        • Voters in Maryland approved a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana for people 21 and older on November 8, 2022.
      • Accuracy
        No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (95%)
        No formal fallacies were found in the article. However, there is an example of inflammatory rhetoric and an appeal to authority. The inflammatory rhetoric can be seen in the statement: 'it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color.' This statement uses loaded language and emotional appeals. The appeal to authority is evident in the quote from Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, which states: 'We are arrested and convicted at higher rates for possession and use of marijuana when the rate at which we used it was no different than any other category of people.' This statement lends credibility to the argument based on an authoritative figure but does not present evidence or reasoning to support the claim.
        • it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color.
        • We are arrested and convicted at higher rates for possession and use of marijuana when the rate at which we used it was no different than any other category of people.
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      97%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Gov. Wes Moore planning to pardon 175,000 cannabis-related convictions

      The Baltimore Banner Brenda Wintrode,Pamela Monday, 17 June 2024 01:16
      • Unique Points
        • Gov. Wes Moore will pardon 175,000 cannabis-related convictions.
        • The pardons will nullify guilty verdicts decided when carrying small amounts of cannabis or paraphernalia was illegal.
        • Details about the pardons, including how many people will be pardoned and how far back those convictions go, will be unveiled Monday.
        • Lingering convictions can keep people from securing housing, getting a job or a professional license and public benefits, or furthering their education.
        • The Moore-Miller administration’s decision comes less than two years after more than two-thirds of voters approved a ballot referendum legalizing small amounts of adult-use cannabis for people 21 and older.
        • Nearly two-thirds of those ZIP codes were in three jurisdictions: Baltimore, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County.
        • Tax revenues collected from adult-use sales will first go to pay for the state’s regulation of the market and then be distributed proportionally to communities harmed by cannabis prohibition.
      • Accuracy
        • Approximately 100,000 living individuals will have their low-level marijuana possession charges forgiven.
        • Gov. Wes Moore plans to sign an executive order during a State House ceremony.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (95%)
        The article contains an appeal to authority when it mentions President Joe Biden's pardon of federal cannabis possession charges and his call for local officials to follow his lead. However, the article does not contain any dichotomous depictions or formal or informal fallacies that would significantly impact the score.
        • President Joe Biden in 2022 announced he'd pardon thousands convicted of federal cannabis possession charges and asked local officials to follow his lead.
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      99%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Maryland governor says he will pardon 175,000 marijuana convictions to right ‘historical wrongs’

      theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Monday, 17 June 2024 03:14
      • Unique Points
        • Maryland governor Wes Moore has promised to issue a mass pardon of approximately 175,000 marijuana convictions.
        • The pardons will forgive low-level marijuana possession charges for an estimated 100,000 people.
        • Black Americans have historically been more likely than white Americans to be arrested on marijuana charges.
      • Accuracy
        • ]Maryland governor Wes Moore will issue a mass pardon of over 175,000 marijuana convictions[
        • The pardons will forgive low-level marijuana possession charges for approximately 100,000 people.
        • Maryland is the only state to pardon such paraphernalia charges.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      99%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Moore to pardon 175,000 marijuana convictions in Maryland

      The Hill News Site: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate-seethe-republicans-call-for-israeli-elections/ Lauren Irwin Monday, 17 June 2024 00:59
      • Unique Points
        • Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will issue a mass pardon of over 175,000 marijuana convictions on Monday.
        • Moore stated it as a step to heal decades of social and economic injustice that disproportionately harmed people of color.
        • The pardons impact communities of color significantly because Maryland has one of the country’s worst records for disproportionately incarcerating Black people.
      • Accuracy
        • ]Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will issue a mass pardon of over 175,000 marijuana convictions[
        • The pardons will forgive low-level marijuana possession charges for approximately 100,000 people.
        • Moore stated that criminal records have been used to deny housing, employment and education for individuals long after their sentences have been served.
        • The pardons are a step to heal decades of social and economic injustice that disproportionately harms Black and Brown people.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication