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Maryland governor pardons more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, the largest in US history, to give criminals 'a fresh start'
Daily Mail UK ^ | June 17, 2024 | Melissa Koenig

Posted on 06/17/2024 7:28:47 PM PDT by Morgana

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana convictions - the largest in the United States - in an effort to give convicts 'a fresh start.'

The Democrat declared the move the 'most sweeping state-level pardon in any state,' and said it will help reverse harms caused by the War on Drugs as he signed the order on Monday.

It will include more than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession and more than 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, the governor's office says.

Some individuals may even have more than one conviction pardoned under the order.

'We are taking actions that are intentional, that are sweeping and unapologetic, and this is the largest such action in our nation's history,' Moore said at a news conference.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: marijuana; maryland; pardon; weed
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1 posted on 06/17/2024 7:28:47 PM PDT by Morgana
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To: Morgana

How is this giving them a fresh start when Maryland has taken away their career and livelihood by making marijuana legal?


2 posted on 06/17/2024 7:33:45 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

They were busted when it was illegal?


3 posted on 06/17/2024 7:37:30 PM PDT by Morgana ( Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
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To: Morgana

Looking for votes?


4 posted on 06/17/2024 7:41:25 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: Morgana

It is my opinion that at this point in time, the only reason the feds are determined to keep marijuana illegal at their level, is so they can use its use against gun owners. They know that a great number of crusty baby boomers (not to mention subsequent generations) use the stuff AND own guns. I’m of that era, and while I’ve never so much as tried the stuff, and have no intention to ever do so, it is legal in an increasing number of states, and I think the feds are trying to figure out how to use that against Americans, without starting a revolution.


5 posted on 06/17/2024 7:57:12 PM PDT by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: Morgana

The devil is in the details. A lot of convictions for possession are the results of a plea bargain deal, with the defendant pleading guilty to evade the much more serious charges for which he was arrested.

Are we supposed to think that the MD officials have individually examined each of these pardons? Of course not. We are not supposed to think.

I don’t know the rules in MD, but I wonder if restoring voting rights prior to the election to a large number of baseline democrat voters might have been a factor.


6 posted on 06/17/2024 9:51:40 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: Morgana

dumping them on the street to insure dems hold MD


7 posted on 06/17/2024 10:22:58 PM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Morgana

If they are pardoned, will that restore their voting rights?

Oh, would the #ComDem’s do something like that to win an election?

YES.


8 posted on 06/17/2024 10:35:11 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (Texas is not about where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind and Attitude.)
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To: Flaming Conservative
it is all about the money....feds are waiting to see how they can get their greedy little fingers into the weed money...

don't use, don't care to use, tried it once decades ago and since I have poor lung capacity so I couldn't even smoke properly...that's my excuse and I' sticking to it...

9 posted on 06/17/2024 10:38:37 PM PDT by cherry
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To: sphinx
Re: "A lot of convictions for possession are the results of a plea bargain deal..."

At the federal level, almost 100% of marijuana convictions involve a plea deal, or a probation violation, or a parole violation.

At the state level, that percentage is lower, but not hugely lower.

The pardon might be fair for people who got convicted in the 1960s and 1970s, when marijuana laws and enforcement were a lot more strict.

10 posted on 06/17/2024 11:30:25 PM PDT by zeestephen (Trump "Lost" By 43,000 Votes - Spread Across Three States - GA, WI, AZ)
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To: Morgana

I applaud the governors pardoning low level offenders relative to the use of weed. I have a big problem with the fact that many convictions for the minor problem with weed is a plea bargain that reduced a major crime to a very small crime. If you smoke a little weed I do not care. If you are a lifetime criminal I do care.


11 posted on 06/17/2024 11:49:33 PM PDT by cpdiii (cane cutter, deckhand, oilfield roughneck, drilling fluid tech, geologist, pilot, pharmacist ,MAGA)
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To: Beowulf9

yep. For the Senate seat.


12 posted on 06/18/2024 12:37:03 AM PDT by paltz
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To: Morgana

Pardoning is one thing, not expunging the criminal record still keeps them entangled with the criminal justice system.


13 posted on 06/18/2024 3:34:25 AM PDT by Clutch Martin ("The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right." )
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To: Texas Fossil

You don’t lose your voting rights over a misdemeanor pot conviction.


14 posted on 06/18/2024 4:55:01 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: circlecity
You don’t lose your voting rights over a misdemeanor pot conviction.

Bears repeating. The people being pardoned can already vote.

15 posted on 06/18/2024 5:21:21 AM PDT by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: nickcarraway
How is this giving them a fresh start when Maryland has taken away their career and livelihood by making marijuana legal?

This does not include the dealers.

16 posted on 06/18/2024 6:15:27 AM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, The Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
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To: Morgana

There is such an easy way to avoid all this. Just don’t use weed. Your life will be much better in all cases, no matter it’s legality


17 posted on 06/18/2024 8:07:44 AM PDT by Apinealgland 2
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To: cpdiii

Allowing a little weed is like saying a little bit of fag books in schools is ok. It is not


18 posted on 06/18/2024 8:07:45 AM PDT by Apinealgland 2
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To: zeestephen

There are few dealers who exclusively
sell marijuana. And often they are in ol Ed in other crimes.

I know there are some small timers but Im guessing that’s not what we have here.


19 posted on 06/18/2024 8:18:24 AM PDT by Leep (Leftardism strikes 1 in 5.)
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To: zeestephen

There are few dealers who exclusively
sell marijuana. And often they are involved in other crimes.

I know there are some small timers but Im guessing that’s not what we have here.


20 posted on 06/18/2024 8:19:08 AM PDT by Leep (Leftardism strikes 1 in 5.)
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