Colorado governor Jared Polis pardons 2,732 people convicted of marijuana possession in what is a huge win for the state.
In what comes as excellent news for up to 2,732 Colorado citizens, governor Jared Polis has signed an executive order to pardon individuals who have been convicted of possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.
Last Thursday, October 1, Polis used his new executive authority to order an unconditional pardon for people previously convicted in the state of Colorado of the possession of one ounce or less of the ol’ devil’s lettuce – a move that automatically pardoned state convictions dating back as far as fifty years.
Colorado was the first of the US states to allow for the sale of one ounce of recreational marijuana for anyone over the age of 21, a law that passed in 2014. This also made it the first place in the world where marijuana was regulated from seed to sale.
“We are finally cleaning up some of the inequities of the past…It’s ridiculous how being written up for smoking a joint in the 1970’s has followed some Coloradans throughout their lives and gotten in the way of their success,” Polis said.
However, those that have been convicted of multiple offences or have been arrested without a conviction have not been let off the hook.
— Jenn (@jhowellchrist) October 1, 2020
“Today we are taking this step toward creating a more just system and breaking down barriers to help transform people’s lives as well as coming to terms with one aspect of the past, failed policy of marijuana prohibition,” said Polis.
Shoutout to Colorado pic.twitter.com/KdSPC6LGst
— Jamie Udo (@lifeofjamieudo) October 2, 2020
“It’s off their records. If they have a background check at work or want a concealed-weapons permit or a student loan, this will no longer hold anybody back,” Polis continued.
“And it’s also symbolically important, because it shows that as a state and nation, we’re coming to terms with the incorrect discriminatory laws of the past that penalized people for possession of small amounts of marijuana.”
— Ryan Jordan (@JR_Tor12) October 1, 2020
To our fellow friends in Colorado, spark one up and enjoy.
