National Urban League Commends Maryland Gov. Moore for Marijuana Pardons

NEW YORK (June 17, 2024) – National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today commended Maryland Governor Wes Moore for his mass pardon of low-level marijuana convictions.

"Governor Moore has established himself as a leader in both equitable justice and economic development," Morial said. "It is a welcome acknowledgement of the racial disparity in prosecutions and the long-lasting social and economic damage that the disparity has caused.

National Urban League is a staunch advocate of the marijuana legalization effort to lift constraints that have criminalized Black and Brown people disproportionately and to lift barriers that have blocked opportunity and social parity for marginalized communities.

"We encourage elected officials across the country to follow Gov. Moore's example in righting historical wrongs, and clearing a path for employment, education, housing, and for those who have been the victims of a failed and discriminatory policy of prohibition," Morial said.