Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey plans to pardon hundreds of thousands of residents in the state who have been convicted of simple marijuana possession.
If the Governor's Council approves the plans, the pardons will apply to all prior adult misdemeanor convictions for marijuana possession. Healey said that it would be a sweeping, blanket pardon that would include all misdemeanor convictions for possession.
Pardoning Possession of Marijuana
The governor said that the people who would be affected by the planned pardons would not have to do anything; they would simply be pardoned, and it would be cleared from their record. Healey said that the pardon announcement was the most powerful step any state in the country had taken.
In 2022, Rhode Island enacted new legislation that would provide for the automatic expungement of prior marijuana possession charges. The efforts could finally remove barriers to housing and employment for people with marijuana convictions, and it was touted as a push for racial equity, according to CBS News.
In a statement, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said that in the state, Black people are four times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana compared to White residents and White people. She added that this was not because they were engaging more in the possession of the drug.
The Massachusetts governor's office said that the pardon would act as forgiveness for a conviction from people's criminal record. The plan would not apply to any marijuana conviction after Mar. 13 or other related offenses, such as driving under the influence. Additionally, the pardon will not affect juvenile marijuana possession cases.
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In 2016, residents across the state voted to legalize the adult recreational use of marijuana, which was an initiative that the governor was opposed to at the time. On Wednesday, Healey said that she was hopeful that people would want a leader who is willing to evolve and adapt.
Many state elected officials, criminal justice reform advocates, people impacted by simple possession convictions, and some members of law enforcement praised Healey's announcement, said WBUR.
Racial Disparity
In a report in 2016, the ACLU of Massachusetts found that while Black people represented only 8% of the state's population, they accounted for nearly a quarter, or 24%, of marijuana possession arrests.
The governor said that they expect the mass pardon to redress some of the harm that the disparities have caused across the state. Healey added that they would continue such efforts so that they could eliminate racial injustice throughout the region's systems.
During Healey's 2022 campaign for Massachusetts governor, she promised to pardon state convictions for simple marijuana possession. Her latest announcement comes after President Joe Biden ordered pardons for people with federal simple possession convictions.
At the time, the Democratic leader said that sending people to jail for simply possessing marijuana has already upended many people's lives and incarcerated so many for conduct that a lot of states no longer prohibit. He also urged governors across the country to stand up and do the same, according to Politico.
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