FILE - Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, bottom right, holds up an executive order he signed to issue more than 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions, Monday, June 17, 2024, in Annapolis, Md. Maryland is launching a new initiative to help people with a history of marijuana-related offenses get jobs in the state's now-legalized recreational cannabis industry. – Maryland wants to help people once convicted of marijuana-related offenses land jobs in the state's legal cannabis industry.
The Cannabis Workforce Development Program will be free to eligible applicants as Maryland seeks to reduce barriers to employment in the marijuana industry. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis starting July 1. in 2022. The state decriminalized possessing small amounts of cannabis on Jan. 1, 2023. In all, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis.