In a significant development following the legalization of adult-use cannabis in 2021, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed additional legislation to expunge marijuana possession charges from criminal records.
Prosecutor Clears Charges: Rectifying Cannabis Convictions' Consequences
The original bill for recreational cannabis already included provisions to erase past offenses, but Chief State's Attorney Patrick Griffin told lawmakers in 2023 that over 4,200 active criminal cases had been reviewed, resulting in the dismissal of 1,562 charges related to cannabis possession.
Representative Steve Stafstrom, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee, stressed the need to rectify the damage caused by the war on drugs and ensure that individuals are not prosecuted for simple possession of cannabis.
State Rep. Stafstrom added: "We recognized the harm caused by the war on drugs with respect to cannabis and wanted to ensure that we erase these charges. There were pending cannabis-related charges that needed to be addressed at the time of legalization."
Bill Evolves: Clearing Records, Sentence Modifications, Senate Next
- Throughout the legislative session, the bill underwent modifications and its current version includes provisions to eliminate simple cannabis possession charges from records that also involve other offenses.
- Additionally, incarcerated individuals would be able to request modifications to their sentences.
- The approved measures now move to the Connecticut Senate, where their passage is highly anticipated.
- If successfully enacted, Connecticut will join a growing number of states taking steps to rectify the consequences of past cannabis convictions and promote social equity within the emerging legal cannabis industry.
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Photo: jimaro morales via Pixabay.
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