Expungement

The last-minute efforts to legalize or decriminalize adult-use cannabis in New York before the legislature adjourns for the year have failed; lawmakers will have to pursue the issue again next year.

The Oregon House of Representatives has approved a measure easing the expungement process for low-level cannabis crimes, removing fees associated with the process and lowering ID requirements.

Illinois lawmakers have approved a legalization bill that, if signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker — a cannabis legalization supporter — would make Illinois the 11th state to legalize cannabis.

A tax-and-regulate legalization plan has advanced from the Illinois Senate to the House of Representatives. The bill has the support of Gov. J.B. Pritzker and, if fully approved, would make Illinois the 11th state to legalize cannabis for adult use.

Hoping for the governor’s support, New York lawmakers have raised the proposed tax rate, lowered possession limits, and added expungement for low-level cannabis convictions to the state’s pending adult-use legislation.

With lawmakers having failed to establish adult-use cannabis legislation this session, Senate President Steve Sweeney says he’s planning to put the question to voters via a ballot initiative in the 2020 general election.

Washington’s governor signed the state’s misdemeanor cannabis vacancies bill. Under the new law, some 69,000 qualifying individuals will be able to have misdemeanor cannabis convictions expunged from their record entirely.

A bill that would expunge nearly 69,000 misdemeanor cannabis convictions in Washington state has been approved by both legislative bodies and now moves to Gov. Jay Inslee (D) for his signature.

Washington lawmakers have approved legislation for the expungement of some 69,000 cannabis misdemeanors; the bill must be now reconciled in the Senate one last time before going to the governor’s desk.

LA prosecutors and nonprofit tech organization Code for America are teaming up to help guide as many as 50,000 cannabis convicts down the path to expungement.

After it passed several key legislative hurdles, New Jersey lawmakers are set to vote on the state’s pending legalization bill as early as next week.

The Washington state Senate has passed a wide-reaching expungement bill that would vacate cannabis convictions for tens of thousands in the state.

Using technology developed by Code for America, San Francisco is the first city in California to successfully complete the expungement of prior cannabis crimes.

The misdemeanor cannabis pardons will only be available for people who were 21+ when arrested and it must be the only conviction on their criminal record.