ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore made history Monday by signing an executive order to pardon 100,000 Marylanders convicted of low-level marijuana charges. A total of 175,000 convictions were pardoned.
The order was the largest pardon for misdemeanor cannabis possession charges for any state in the country. Including drug paraphernalia in the order makes Maryland the first state to take this kind of action, according to Moore's office.
Former Bowie State wide receiver Shiloh Jordan was among those pardoned. He stood behind the governor as he put pen to paper on Monday morning.
Jordan was arrested during a traffic stop in Baltimore more than a decade ago and said he was found with less than one gram of marijuana. He spent one night in jail, but the consequences lasted much longer than that.
"Eventually in the long run, when I would later apply for a job, it affected me tremendously," Jordan explained.
Jordan made his way to the Center for Urban Families (CFUF) in Baltimore where he completed a program called "Strive," which aims to help people get back into the workforce. After he graduated from Bowie State, he joined CFUF as its outreach coordinator.
"I know a lot of people are facing the same issues that I had faced," Jordan said. "I want to give back to the same neighborhood that I took from."
When he caught wind of news that he was one of the 100,000 Marylanders that Moore was pardoning, Jordan said he was happy, but knew it was something that should've happened a long time ago.
Come Monday, Jordan said he couldn't help but feel excited when he stood behind the governor as he signed the official order.
"I was really downplaying it until I got there, " he said. "And then I was like, 'whoa! This is really big!'"
Most importantly, Jordan said he wants to echo Gov. Moore's words in how he hopes this order helps change the perception of those who have previously been criminalized.
"Just because you smoke weed does not mean you’re a criminal, does not mean you’re out here to hurt somebody or rob anybody or you can’t make rational decisions," Jordan said. "You write your own narrative. You could let things stop you or defeat you but it’s all about your willpower to want to do something."
Jordan said he plans to continue his work at the Center for Urban Families.
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