Can the rest of the US catch up!?
Earlier today, District Attorney George Gascón announced that San Francisco will retroactively apply California’s marijuana-legalization laws to past criminal cases, expunging or reducing misdemeanor and felony convictions going back decades!
This move will help thousands whos marijuana convictions have branded them with a criminal history that can hurt chances of finding jobs and getting government benefits.
Prop 64, which passed in November 2016, legalized the recreational use of marijuana in Cali for the 21 and older, and permits the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis. The legislation also allows those with past marijuana convictions to petition a court to recall or dismiss their cases.
Instead of leaving it up to those convicted to petition the courts on their behalf (which is time-consuming and can cost hundreds of dollars in attorney fees) Gascón said San Francisco prosecutors will review and wipe out convictions of over 3,000 people dating cases back to 1975. Along with reviewing and expunging those cases, they will also review over 4.9k marijuana felony cases, and if necessary, re-sentence them.
Nikki Rae
IG: iamnikkirae
Twitter: iamnikkiraexo
