marijuana

Connecticut Ahead of the Curve on Marijuana Possession Pardons

It's a major announcement that could shape how states across the nation prosecute marijuana possession.

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President Biden announced he's taking executive action to pardon all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession, and it's something Connecticut has had in the works for about a year now.

“No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time we right these wrongs,” Biden said.

The pardons will affect thousands of people who will see their federal convictions on this charge wiped away. A senior White House official said more than 65,000 U.S. citizens from 1992 to 2021 were convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law.

Quinnipiac University Professor William Dunlap said this will open many doors for these people.

“It will make it easier for them to get jobs and get licenses they may have been denied since the conviction,” he said.

Dunlap said this also addresses the disproportionate number of arrests faced by communities of color. ACLU data shows that in 2018, Black people were four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people in Connecticut.

“We’ve realized for many years now that minority communities, primarily Hispanic and Black have been affected by this much more,” Dunlap said.

In a statement, Governor Ned Lamont applauded the move.

“At its core, the war on cannabis has been a war on people in Black and brown communities who have been targeted by these laws at far greater rates and whose lives have been impacted for the worse as a result," Lamont said.

The governor said he signed into law a series of actions to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis in the state.

University of New Haven Criminal Justice Professor Mike Lawlor said Connecticut has already taken steps with laws passed, allowing past convictions for small amounts of marijuana to be erased.

“It’s also been consistent with what’s been happening in a lot of states, in both blue states and red states, as they reconsider the significance of old convictions, especially for misdemeanors like this,” Lawlor said.

"Not only does it legalize possession of small amounts of cannabis for adults over the age of 21, but it also includes a provision that automatically erases certain cannabis-related convictions under state law, which will make a difference in the lives of impacted people and communities across our state," Lamont said.

He believes this will have a ripple effect across the country.

“I think the president taking this step will actually add impetus to efforts around the country and here in Connecticut,” Lawlor said.

The White House made it clear that these pardons don’t apply to anyone who isn’t a U.S. citizen or wasn’t in the country legally at the time of the offense.

The Department of Justice is working on making a process for people to get their certificate of pardon which can be used to show employers.

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