“Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations.”
“Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that public officials and the courts move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization.”
President Biden’s foray into the arena of marijuana reform legitimizes legalization as a subject worthy of consideration — and action — by those at the highest levels of government. Further, it is a recognition — by the president of the United States, no less — that America’s nearly 100-year experiment with cannabis criminalization has been an abject failure.
We must double down on our efforts encouraging Congressional leadership to finally repeal the federal prohibition of marijuana once and for all!
“Statewide, Illinoisans hold hundreds of thousands of low-level cannabis-related records, a burden disproportionately shouldered by communities of color.”
State officials approved procedures in 2019 permitting those with low-level marijuana possession convictions to seek unconditional pardons.
The move comes after Gov. Polis signed separate legislation into law earlier this year granting him the expanded authority to issue such pardons, which took effect this month.
Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation into law which provides the office with expanded powers to pardon those with past marijuana convictions.