 Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Tom Wolf launched a statewide pardon for citizens to have minor cannabis possession convictions cleared from their records.
But as PennLive first reported on Thursday, something has gone very wrong, as officials are only considering 231, out of more than 3,500, clemency applicants. The state board reviewing these partnered with state agencies to carry out a review, and came up with the small number of just 231 approved applicants. And those 231 people still have to be formally approved by the board later this month. 2,002 of the applicants who were denied were said to have not met the reqirements. Another 434 applications are on hold, and may be reconsidered at a future meeting. No clear information was given on why so many applicants were rejected, but the Board of Pardon’s Secretary Celeste Trusty had previously told Marijuana Moment that the board identified “quite a few folks who entered incorrect data” on their applications. Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor, Democrat John Fetterman, is a big cannabis legalization advocate, and also serves on the state’s Board of Pardons. His term as Lietenant Governor is ending, but he has previously said that he wants to process cannabis clemency for as many people as possible before leaving office. Fetterman was elected to the U.S. Senate last month and told Marijuana Moment in October that while pardons are meaninful and would benefit people, he said, “the only lasting relief will come when our Republican legislature finally decides to do the right thing and legalize it.” Comments are closed.
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