Kansas Lawmaker Proposes Bill To Free Those Serving Sentences For Marijuana-Related Offenses & Expunge Records

A Kansas lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to release those convicted for cannabis-related offenses from their sentence and expunge prior convictions and arrest records involving cannabis, reported Kansas Reflector.

If passed, House Bill 2363, from House Minority Leader Vic Miller and 34 other representatives, would go into effect July 1, 2023.

Under the measure, those currently "serving a term of probation, assignment to a community correctional services program, suspension of sentence, nonprison sanction, parole or postrelease supervision, serving a sentence in county jail, or on supervision by any municipality solely for an offense described in subsection" would be "immediately released from custody or supervision" and have their "associated convictions and arrest records expunged and purged from all applicable state and federal systems."

With the new legislation, Miller is seeking to address the Legislature's stalling on the issue of marijuana legalization.

"It doesn't legalize it per se, but it eliminates the serving a sentence punishment," he said, adding that it would "save in my mind, probably tens of millions of dollars related to those prosecutions in those incarcerations."

Senate's Bill To Legalize MMJ

Meanwhile, Kansas senators continue to push for cannabis policy reform.

Their measure that would regulate the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale and use of medical cannabis was recently filed by the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee.

SB 135 seeks to allow patients with one of 21 conditions, such as cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain, to name a few, would be allowed to possess up to a month's supply of medical cannabis legally. Interestingly, smoking and vaping cannabis products would be considered illegal under the new bill.

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