Canadians can have their criminal records expunged for cannabis-related crimes

The Canadian federal government took action last Thursday an essential measure to address the injustices committed during the war on drugs, announcing that a new, free system—with significantly shorter wait times—would take effect immediately for people convicted of offenses related to the possession of small amounts of cannabis. Canadians convicted of possessing less than 30 grams of cannabis can now have their criminal records expunged.

Attorney General David Lametti said the new expungement process would be «almost instantaneous.» A 2014 study estimated that more than 500,000 Canadians had a criminal record due to an offense related to cannabis. 41 800 people were arrested for cannabis possession in 2016 alone. Bill Blair, Minister of Organized Crime Reduction, estimated that between 70,000 and 80,000 Canadians would be eligible for rehabilitation under the new system—but on Thursday, Mr. Lametti expanded that estimate to more than 250,000 people. «We know this is particularly important for many minority communities, including Black Canadians and Indigenous Canadians, who have been disproportionately affected by cannabis law enforcement,» Mr. Lametti said.

There is, however, a difference between a pardon and expungement: the former affirms that a crime has been forgiven, while the latter acknowledges that a previous law was erroneous and that no crime was actually committed. Some wonder, however, whether these pardons will allow Canadians to travel to the United States, since the past crime will still be visible on their records.

The Canadian government had been working on this bill since last fall, even before it had legalized recreational cannabis. The Senate passed Bill C-93 in June and has waited until now to obtain the royal assent required for it to become law.