Colorado Takes A Step Towards Dismissing Weed Convictions

Colorado one step closer to dismissing convictions.

If you, or someone you know, has a non-violent marijuana conviction on your record it may soon be like it never happened. Governor John Hickenlooper met with state officials to discuss dismissing marijuana convictions in non-violent situations. The conversations were "informal” and discussed how to handle these non-violent marijuana convictions going forward.

It's a tricky legal question, what to do with those that have a conviction on their record for an act that is no longer illegal? It's a matter of principal. If lawmakers say that something is no longer a crime, it seems unfair for persons to continue to suffer the ramifications of that arrest. In 2017, Colorado approved a bill that allows people convicted of a misdemeanor marijuana charge before December 10th 2012, to petition the courts to have the conviction sealed.

What are your thoughts? Should prior non-violent marijuana convictions be erased or if you broke the law when it was illegal are you still liable?

Credit: The Cannabist