Legislators decided 116 to 15 in support of House Bill 83, which mandates, “All court records and police records relating to any … charge of possession of marijuana, … where marijuana is the only charge, the case shall be automatically expunged on or before October 1, 2022.”
Category: Expungement
Hawaii: Minor Marijuana Possession Offenses to be Decriminalized Next Week
Legislation takes effect on Saturday, January 11, decriminalizing minor marijuana possession offenses.
Illinois: Governor Issues Over 11,000 Pardons Ahead of Marijuana Legalization
“The 11,017 pardons that Gov. Pritzker is granting today are thousands of lives forever changed — and hundreds of thousands more will be changed in the coming months. Those who were unfairly targeted by discriminatory drug laws can finally get ahead and build a new future for themselves and their families.”
Illinois: Retail Marijuana Sales Begin Next Week
Adults will be able to purchase cannabis from select retailers beginning Wednesday, January 1.
New Jersey: Governor Signs Marijuana Expungement Bill into Law
“This … will make it possible for thousands of residents now and in the future to truly be able to turn the corner and not have long forgotten mistakes marking them like a ‘scarlet letter’ for the rest of their lives.”
New Mexico: Governor’s Task Force Issues Adult-Use Marijuana Recommendations
A 23-member task force has issued explicit policy recommendations to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham regarding the legalization and regulation of cannabis. The Press Secretary for the Governor says, “The next steps will be to incorporate the recommendations of this working group into balanced legislation and working to win the support of legislators and stakeholders ahead of the session.”
Pennsylvania: Expedited Pardon Process Now Available for Those with Low-Level Cannabis Convictions
The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons has created an expedited process to review and grant pardon applications for those with marijuana-related records. “These people have done no harm to anyone else,” Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman said. “They shouldn’t continue to suffer with employment and housing issues because they were convicted of doing something that most Pennsylvanians don’t even think should be illegal.”
Illinois: Clemency Available for 0 to 30 Grams, Expungement Available for Convictions of 30 to 500 Grams
Illinois has an estimated 770,000 marijuana related criminal records which are now eligible for clemency by Governor Pritzker.
New York: New Law Reducing Marijuana Possession Penalties Takes Effect Today
Legislation reducing marijuana possession penalties and facilitating the expungement of past cannabis convictions took effect today.
Arizona NORML, Partners File 2020 Statewide Legalization Initiative
A coalition of activist groups, including Arizona NORML, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the state chapter of the ACLU, have filed language with the Secretary of State seeking to legalize the adult use and dispensing of cannabis.