The Maryland Democratic Party released the following statement on President Biden’s pardons today:
“We applaud our President’s decision today to pardon all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession and his call on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses.
This is a long-awaited and long-overdue step in the right direction to correct an outdated and harmful policy. As the president said, too many lives have been upended by our nation’s failed approach to marijuana, especially the lives of countless young black and brown men in our state who have suffered and been jailed at a much higher and unjust rate, and all those who have carried this burden with them while trying to obtain jobs or secure home or student loans.
Our voters will have the opportunity to make their voices heard on the legalization and taxation of adult recreational marijuana use in November. And while we cannot right the wrongs or heal the wounds of the past with one proclamation, we look forward to continuing a more equitable and reasonable path forward for the next generation of Marylanders.”