Big change came to the state Saturday — not only with the legalization of adult-use recreational cannabis, but also with shifting criminal justice policies that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and low-income Marylanders.

In the spirit of ending the prohibition equitably, Maryland lawmakers put new laws in place over the past two years to aid people with the process of expunging cannabis charges and convictions from their records, and limited the circumstances for police to execute traffic stops based on the odor of cannabis.

Starting Jan. 1, people incarcerated for cannabis possession were able to begin applying for resentencing hearings. If they are serving time in jail only for marijuana charges, judges are required to resentence them to time served and release them.

Under the same bill, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services is required to expunge all cases where an individual was only charged with cannabis possession before July 1, 2023. All of these records are to be expunged by July 1, 2024.

“It makes sense from a restorative justice standpoint to have that automatic expungement applied,” said Elizabeth Hilliard, the acting director of government relations at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. “We know, certainly, that having a criminal charge on your record can lead to either complications or barriers for employment, education, housing, financially, and so we certainly applaud the General Assembly’s decision to provide that expungement.” [Read More @ The Baltimore Sun]