Denver, CO: Democrat Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order last week pardoning nearly 3,000 Coloradoans with low-level marijuana convictions.
In a prepared statement, the Governor said: “We are finally cleaning up some of the inequities of the past by pardoning 2,732 convictions for Coloradans who simply had an ounce of marijuana or less. … Too many Coloradans have been followed their entire lives by a conviction for something that is no longer a crime, and these convictions have impacted their job status, housing, and countless other areas of their lives. Today we are taking this step toward creating a more just system and breaking down barriers to help transform people’s lives as well as coming to terms with one aspect of the past, failed policy of marijuana prohibition.”
The move comes after Gov. Polis signed legislation into law earlier this year granting him the expanded authority to issue such pardons. The new law took effect this month.
In recent months, the Governors of Nevada, Illinois, and Washington have taken similar steps to grant an estimated 30,000 pardons to those with low-level marijuana convictions.
For more information, contact Carly Wolf, NORML State Policies Coordinator.