With pardons in Maryland, 2.5 million Americans will have marijuana convictions cleared or forgiven

UNDATED (AP)- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is pardoning 175,000 people with cannabis convictions. That brings to more than 2.5 million people across the U.S. people whose convictions have been cleared or forgiven in recent years. Advocates say it’s an important way to redress the damage done by the nation’s long war on drugs. But they note that many people are still suffering legal consequences for past use of a drug that’s now allowed in most states. More than 30 million people have been convicted of marijuana convictions over the last 50 years. Black people are disproportionately charged and convicted of the offenses.