Canadians with Cannabis Convictions Can Now Apply for Pardons
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]C[/dropcap]anada officials will now begin to accept petitions to pardon cannabis convictions now that the country’s legal cannabis program is well underway.
According to The Boston Globe, the new system will be cost-free and have expedited wait times so that cannabis conviction reversal can become a reality for those who seek them. The program was announced on August 1 and currently only applies to those who were found in possession of 30 grams or less. “Providing free, immediate access to pardons will allow those with criminal records for simple possession of cannabis to move forward with their lives, making it easier to get a job, an education, rent an apartment or volunteer in their community,” Justice Minister David Lametti said in a statement. “We know that this is particularly significant for many in minority communities, including black and Indigenous Canadians who have been disproportionately affected by the enforcement of cannabis laws.”
Other states in the United States have also approved or are investigating how to help its residents expunge their cannabis convictions. In Canada, there are many citizens who could benefit from such a program. “Fifty-eight percent (55,000 of 95,400) of police-reported Controlled Drugs and Substances Act offences were cannabis-related,” Canada’s official drug statistics explain. “The other 42 percent were for offences relating to the importation, exportation, trafficking, production and possession of drugs and narcotics such as cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, PCP, LSD and ecstasy.”
In general, this is a major step forward for Canada and their cannabis policies. The country has already received some blowback for the high cost of legal cannabis, but it’s hard to argue that the country is having trouble handling its legal issues. Canada is also requiring flight crews to undergo drug tests and is spending a lot of their funds on cannabis research. While some are concerned about whether these pardons will hold up internationally, pardons will still be a huge benefit for people within the country.
