San Francisco Will Clear Thousands of Marijuana Convictions Dating Back 40 Years

San Francisco will Clear thousands of marijuana convictions dating back to 1975.

The San Francisco district attorney’s office has announced that it will wipe out thousands of marijuana convictions dating back 40 years. The city will put into effect California’s new marijuana legalization laws prior to convictions, effectively clearing or reducing misdemeanors and felonies dating to 1975.

As a result, nearly 5 thousand felony marijuana convictions will be reviewed, recalled and resentenced. In addition, more than 3 thousand misdemeanors that were sentenced before the passage of Proposition 64 will be dismissed and sealed, according to District Attorney, George Gascón. Ord

California is just one of many states to legalize recreational marijuana, however, they are notable for adding laws that would expunge its residents who have been convicted for mild offenses.

San Francisco’s latest announcement could, in turn, start a larger movement to address old pot convictions, although it’s still too early to be certain which counties will follow their lead.

California’s Proposition 64 also legalized possessions and purchase of up to an ounce of marijuana and allows individuals to grow a maximum of six plants for personal use. This claim would allow people convicted of marijuana possessions crimes by Proposition 64 to bring their case to court and to have their convictions wiped clean from their records. Such a feat would only be successful if the person does not pose a risk to public safety, however.

More so, individuals can petition to reduce some crimes from a felony to a misdemeanor, such as possession of more than an ounce of marijuana by a person who is 18 or older.

“Long ago we lost our ability to distinguish the dangerous from the nuisance, and it has broken our pocketbook, the fabric of our communities, and we are no safer for it.” Gascón. Said in a statement.

Approximately 75 percent of San Francisco resident voted to legalize marijuana, the highest rate recorded among all of California’s 58 counties.

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