Oregon pardons 45,000 for cannabis possession

Less than two months after U.S. President Joe Biden announced a federal amnesty for offenses related to cannabis—and urged state governors to do the same—Oregon is taking action.

This week, Governor Kate Brown announced sentence reductions for prior simple possession offenses, which are estimated to affect 45,000 people in the state of Oregon, where marijuana is legal, and will save $14 million (€18.8 million) in fines and related fees.

«No one deserves to suffer the consequences of a conviction for simple cannabis possession for the rest of their life—a crime that is no longer illegal in Oregon,» said Kate Brown in a press release.

«This amnesty will expunge 47,144 convictions for possession of a small amount of cannabis, thereby removing barriers for thousands of people seeking employment, housing, or educational opportunities who would otherwise have been ineligible,» according to a press release from the governor’s office.

The amnesty will apply to convictions for possession of a ounce of cannabis (approximately 28 grams) or less, committed before 2016, and for which the person was 21 years of age or older. It must also be the person’s only charge, and «there must be no victims.».

«No one is currently incarcerated in the state of Oregon solely for possession of one ounce or less of cannabis,» the fact sheet also notes.

«We are a state—and a nation—of second chances. Today, I am taking steps to right the wrongs of a flawed, unfair, and outdated criminal justice system in Oregon with regard to personal cannabis possession,» said Ms. Brown.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Oregon applauded Ms. Brown’s decision. «The failed policies of the war on drugs—including harsh sentencing, overcriminalization, and surveillance of Black communities—have perpetuated racial disparities in the criminal justice system and contributed to mass incarceration,» notes a joint statement.

Several U.S. states have already granted pardons

The governors of Colorado, Nevada, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington State have already taken action in recent months to grant pardons to convicted individuals for minor violations of drug laws.

It depends on the state in question, but some records are automatically reviewed and expunged, while others require eligible individuals to file a request.