Ahead of the NSW state election this Saturday, the NSW Greens party have announced they will be retroactively erasing cannabis possession convictions as part of their plan to legalise the drug.
Currently a cannabis possession charge in NSW comes with a score of ramifications, for instance barring people from teaching jobs or even entry into the US. Possession of over 15 grams can earn you a criminal charge. To put that into perspective, the Greens’ proposed plan for federal legalisation will allow each citizen to own up to 50 grams without offence.
The NSW Greens have announced they will be erasing past criminal charges for cannabis possession, if their plan for legalisation comes into effect.
Speaking to Pedestrian, Greens MLC David Shoebridge shared:
“Tens of thousands of people in NSW alone are living with the legacy of a criminal conviction for possessing a substance that is legal in many different countries around the world.”
In addition to the erasure, anyone currently in prison for cannabis possession would be released immediately.
A similar erasure has been underway in California, with the San Francisco area leading the charge. As last reported over 8,000 convictions in the SF area had been modified according to California’s new legalisation laws, out of an estimated 200,000.
