Prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Joaquin counties announced plans Monday to automatically clear about 54,000 marijuana-related convictions, part of a growing movement to offer a clean slate to Californians hamstrung by their past now that pot is legal.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Joaquin counties announced plans Monday to automatically clear about 54,000 marijuana-related convictions, part of ato offer a clean slate to Californians hamstrung by their past now that pot is legal.
Studies have shown that people of color are more likely to be arrested and punished in connection with the drug, which critics say perpetuates a cycle of poverty and incarceration by holding them back from getting jobs or finding housing.found that although African Americans make up just 6% of California’s population, they account for almost a quarter of those serving time in jail exclusively for marijuana offenses.
Under the measure, people convicted of marijuana possession can petition the courts to have those convictions expunged if they don’t pose a risk to public safety. People also can petition to have some crimes reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, including possession of more than an ounce of marijuana by a person who is 18 or older.
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