Photo: Joshua Qualls/Massachusetts Governor's Office
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Governor Maura Healey has announced a groundbreaking new plan that will pardon individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession.
The Governor said in her remarks at the State House on Wednesday that this decision would impact hundreds of thousands of people. Healey believes that this pardon will serve as an effective method to help people who have been convicted get their lives back on track and help to combat the racial inequality that has been attributed to the war on drugs campaign.
Recently, President Biden proposed legislation that pardoned those who were convicted of marijuana possession on a federal level, and Massachusetts is now the first state in the nation to follow suit.
“We believe that this is the most sweeping cannabis pardon ever proposed by any governor in the United States,” said Healey.
The Governor also said in her remarks that “nobody should face barriers to getting a job, housing or an education because of an old misdemeanor marijuana conviction that they would not be charged for today.”
Newton is one of the first Massachusetts communities to speak out in support of the Governor’s actions.
“My colleagues and I are happy to stand with Governor Healey and her administration in pardoning those whose lives were previously affected by previous marijuana possession offenses,” said John Carmichael, Newton Chief of Police.
The pardons will apply to all eligible convictions and for most people, they will not need to do anything to take any action to have their criminal records updated, and the pardons will also apply to all Massachusetts state court misdemeanor convictions before March 13, 2024, according to a press release.
Currently, Healey’s proposal is still awaiting approval by the Governor’s Council.
WBZ NewsRadio's Madison Rogers (@MadisonWBZ) reports:
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