By Jelena Martinovic
On Thursday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis pardoned 1,351 men and women for slight marijuana possession crimes, The Hill reported.
Aside from granting individuals pardons for drug expenses by inking an govt get, Polis also lifted three commutations and 15 other unique pardons for prisoners.
Kudos to @jaredpolis for pardoning 1351 people today convicted of possessing 2 ounces or significantly less of cannabis. A product for other governors. pic.twitter.com/9j1yVyYwSF
— David Boaz (@David_Boaz) December 31, 2021
The shift follows the governor signing a monthly bill — Residence Bill 1090 — in Could that doubled the marijuana possession limit for older people 21 and more mature.
That piece of laws not only amplified cannabis possession restrict, but also sought to detect persons with prior convictions for up to 2 ounces of pot possession and clear their documents.
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“This is a interesting monthly bill in the vein of prison justice reform for the reason that, for considerably too prolonged, the effects for persons who had a personalized amount of cannabis right before it experienced been legalized nevertheless experienced a lengthy shadow on them, so for undertaking something that is totally authorized today,” Polis commented on the monthly bill previously this 12 months.
Gov. Polis, Photograph by Rick T. Wilking/Stringer/Getty Pictures
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The evaluate designed on Amendment 64, which was legalized marijuana and handed in 2012.
“Adults can legally possess cannabis in Colorado, just as they can beer or wine,” Polis mentioned in the statement. “It’s unfair that 1,351 further Coloradans had lasting blemishes on their file that interfered with employment, credit score, and gun possession, but now we have preset that by pardoning their possession of tiny amounts of cannabis that occurred all through the failed prohibition era.”
This posting initially appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with authorization.