This Presidents Day, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), along with a coalition of business groups and criminal justice reform advocates, is calling upon President Joe Biden to follow through on his campaign commitment to expunge the criminal records of those with non-violent marijuana convictions.
“Statewide, Illinoisans hold hundreds of thousands of low-level cannabis-related records, a burden disproportionately shouldered by communities of color.”
Support is bipartisan, with majorities of Democrats (81 percent), Independents (69 percent), and Republicans (57 percent) endorsing the expungement of marijuana-related convictions.
“Thousands of citizens unduly carry the undue burden and stigmatization of a past conviction for behavior that is no longer considered to be a crime. Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that officials move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization.”
HB 4982 explicitly permits those convicted of one or more misdemeanor marijuana offenses to file a petition with the court to have their criminal record set aside.
“Momentum continues to build towards a successful vote in the House,” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “The American public will look favorably upon the bipartisan majority that would vote to pass the MORE Act.”
Members of the Vermont House of Representatives preliminarily approved legislation to facilitate the automatic expungement of many past, low-level marijuana possession convictions.
Included in legislation being considered this special session are a number marijuana-related objectives which have advanced in both the Senate and House of Delegates thus far.