US governor overturns more than 175,000 cannabis-related convictions

The governor of the American state of Maryland canceled this Monday, June 17, more than 175,000 convictions linked to the use and possession of cannabis handed down over the last decades, the Washington Post and CNN reported.

This decision comes almost a year after the legalization of the recreational use of cannabis in the state, neighboring the federal capital Washington.

“This executive order is the largest state pardon action ever taken in U.S. history,” Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said as he signed the pardon documents.

In all, around 100,000 people are affected by these pardons, some of them having been convicted of several offenses related to marijuana. The governor clarified that some beneficiaries of this decision had died.