![]() When a state legalizes cannabis, it can take a long time for the sales to actually begin in a state. There are a lot of regulations that have to be figured out before that can happen. One aspect of that which requires a great deal of thought and effort is what to do about those who are currently serving time or who have a criminal record for soemthing that is being decriminalized with legalizing retail cannabis sales. Some states, such as Nevada, which we reported on last week, have passed legislation for past crime records to be sealed or expunged. But in many states, like Nevada, that process isn’t an easy one. An individual has to navigate a very confusing and long paper trail through the courts to get their record cleared, and so most people don’t or can’t do it. Nevada is currently working to rectify that situation, but other states who are just now approaching legalization are looking at state’s like Nevada and seeing how they can avoid those same mistakes. One of those states is Missouri. Missouri residents will be voting this fall on legalizing recreational adult use cannabis, and part of that new potential legislation would include the automatic expungment of past cannabis crimes. If passed, this would be the first time that a state is instituting an automatic expungement. At least seven other states included expunging records as part of legalization, but the expungement requires at least some effort by the individuals to get that accomplished. This new Missouri proposal would put that responsibility back onto the state to get people’s past records cleared. The proposal will clear past cannabis-related convictions for nonviolent offenders and those whose convictions did not involve selling to minors or driving while high. John Payne is the campaign manager for the push to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. He said, “This is going to allow those people to live more full and complete lives… That also helps society at large, because they’re essentially being somewhat locked out of the economy and productive lives by that burden. We’re going to remove that for them.” The amendment gives courts six months to expunge past misdemeanors and a year for eligible felonies. One exception to the automatic policy would be for those currently incarcerated, who would need to take action and petition courts for early release. Comments are closed.
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