New Year, Fresh Start In Connecticut: Gov. Lamont Erases 43K Cannabis Convictions

Governor Ned Lamont (D) announced on New Year's Day that thousands of Connecticut residents convicted of cannabis possession will have their records cleared in an automated erasure method.  

The state officially erased 42,964 cannabis convictions Sunday morning, according to a tweet from Gov. Ned Lamont.

As of this morning, our administration has marked 42,964 cannabis convictions erased, as planned.
It’s one step forward in ending the War on Drugs and giving our citizens a second chance to achieve their dreams. https://t.co/AGJrzWzCCa

— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) January 1, 2023

Residents who have had their records erased are free to tell employers, landlords and schools that the cannabis conviction never occurred.

Lamont had previously announced that thousands of low-level cannabis convictions would be automatically erased on Jan. 1.

“Especially as employers seek to fill job openings, an old conviction for low-level possession should not hold someone back from their aspirations,” he wrote last month.

The move follows 2021 legislation that also regulates adult-use cannabis. Recreational marijuana is already legal in the state, and dispensaries can begin selling it on Jan. 10.

Photo: Benzinga edit from Office of Governor Ned Lamont on Wikimedia Commons and Alesia Kozik on Pexels