The Mayor Of Cleveland Wants To Get Rid Of Thousands Of Marijuana Convictions Once The New State Law Goes Into Effect!

Following the implementation of a state statute giving towns the authority to handle mass relief, Cleveland, Ohio’s mayor announced on Tuesday that the city will move forward with plans to seal thousands of marijuana records.

The passage of SB 288—which Governor Mike DeWine (R) signed in January—will enable the city to continue its efforts to arrange around 4,000 cannabis expungements on behalf of its residents, according to Mayor Justin Bibb (D).

Sen. Nathan Manning’s (R) state legislation, which has since been passed, addressed a number of topics, including sentencing reform for prisoners and expanded sealing and expungement of criminal records. But Bibb wants to take advantage of laws that permit towns to have drug-related convictions—including those for possessing up to 200 grams of marijuana—erased from their records.

The law also shields people from being marked as criminals for owning cannabis paraphernalia.

Last year, the mayor asked for widespread marijuana clemency but was informed by state officials that municipal governments lack the jurisdiction. Then he collaborated with Manning to draft laws to increase that authority.

Bibb noted that President Joe Biden’s decision to provide blanket pardons to those convicted of federal marijuana possession offenses and to order an administrative review of the marijuana schedule late last year both contributed to the development of a path for state-level reform.

ALSO READ: Local Marijuana Tax Ballot Measures Pass All Around Missouri!

According to a press statement from President Biden, his efforts to reform marijuana laws gave us the opportunity to make significant adjustments to our own marijuana policies. The ultimate goal of these policies is to treat our residents fairly and provide them with more opportunities for success.

Aqueelah Jordan, the chief prosecutor in Cleveland, stated that the city would make an effort to independently obtain assistance for those who might lack the resources to do so themselves.

We recognize that because the criminal justice system isn’t always user-friendly, people don’t always want to participate in it. And, she added, sometimes it’s incredibly challenging for citizens to gain access. We can act on behalf of these residents who have been harmed by historical injustices as a city.

In order to make that happen, the city intends to both mail letters about the expungement possibility to anyone with qualifying offenses and to independently file motions with the courts to provide the relief.

With the money the city obtained from the U.S. Conference of Mayors earlier this year, there will also be expungement clinics that will provide resources for residents to have their records sealed.

ALSO READ: Schumer To Speak At 4/20 Marijuana Policy Forum Inside The U.S. Capitol Alongside Other Lawmakers

But not just Cleveland is affected by this reform. The statute allows county prosecutors and local law directors to request expungements for drug offenses classified as light misdemeanors or fourth-degree on behalf of defendants.

Additionally, under the law, misdemeanor possession convictions for cannabis paraphernalia would not count as a criminal record and would not have to be disclosed in response to questions about a person’s criminal history.

In state legislatures and Congress this year, Media Sources are monitoring more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelic, and drug policy measures. To ensure they don’t miss any updates, Patreon backers who pledge at least $25 per month have access to our interactive maps, infographics, and hearing calendar. Find out more about our marijuana bill tracker and sign up as a Patreon patron to gain access.

An activist-led petition for marijuana legalization must be considered by Ohio lawmakers by a certain date.

Early in January, the Ohio secretary of state formally resubmitted the petition to the legislature, giving legislators four months to examine the change. Advocates can then gather more signatures to put the matter on the November ballot if they fail to take action.

The legalization measure was intended to appear on the November 2022 ballot, but procedural issues stopped that from happening. The campaign Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) fought tirelessly to make that happen. The number of signatures collected by activists was sufficient to start the legislative review, but the date of their initial submission was contested.

With regard to the 2022 election, CTRMLA’s lawsuit to force ballot placement was unsuccessful, but the state agreed to a settlement, which meant that they would not need to gather additional initial signatures and that the initiative would be immediately resubmitted to the legislature at the beginning of the 2023 session.

A bill to legalize marijuana that was independently submitted by two Ohio Democratic lawmakers during the previous session and closely mirrored the planned ballot issue did not get forward in time.

A Republican lawmaker who sponsored a rival cannabis tax and regulation measure has downplayed hopes for legislative change, indicating that voters would likely have to resolve the matter.

In previous elections, including the most recent one in November where voters in five more cities backed local marijuana decriminalization ballot measures, Ohioans made it obvious that they are ready for a shift in policy.

According to a survey conducted last year, the majority of Ohio voters favor legalizing marijuana on the state ballot.