A Clean Slate

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he history of cannabis prohibition in many areas is riddled with imbalances involving people of color in arrest data. Los Angeles County is no different. On Feb. 13, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to streamline the pathway to reduce or clear minor cannabis-related convictions for residents who live in Los Angeles County. The motion was written and filed by Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Hilda L. Solis.

The motion, entitled “The Decriminalization of Cannabis and Ensuring Equity in Enforcement,” calls for the county’s Office of Cannabis Management and other departments to develop countywide recommendations to abate cannabis-related arrest disparities, within 120 days of the motion date.

The motion also calls for a retroactive action. According to the county district attorney’s office, there are some 40,000 cannabis-related felonies dating back to 1993 that could potentially be reduced or cleared.

Joseph M. Nicchitta is countywide coordinator for the Los Angeles County Office of Marijuana Management. “Under Proposition 64, people convicted of a cannabis crime may be entitled to have their sentences reduced or eliminated altogether,” Nicchitta told CULTURE. “In Los Angeles County, there could be as many as 40,000 individuals entitled to relief, and potentially many more than that. A prior cannabis conviction can prevent a person from getting a job, student loans or subsidized housing. This can worsen social and economic disparities in communities struggling with high rates of criminalization and incarceration.”

A solution includes not only amending cannabis laws, but retroactively fixing the problem at its root. Otherwise, people continue to sit in jail for possessing or selling a plant that is now legal.

To address this, Nicchitta said, “On Feb. 13, 2018, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion directing the County’s Office of Cannabis Management to work closely with the L.A. County District Attorney, Public Defender and other agencies to create a plan to help people get prior cannabis-related convictions reduced or removed from their record.” The plan will assess how many people are potentially entitled to relief, how effective outreach methods are and how to remove barriers that prevent people from seeking relief. The plan is due to be filed in June 2018.

“Under Proposition 64, people convicted of a cannabis crime may be entitled to have their sentences reduced or eliminated altogether. In Los Angeles County, there could be as many as 40,000 individuals entitled to relief, and potentially many more than that. A prior cannabis conviction can prevent a person from getting a job, student loans or subsidized housing. This can worsen social and economic disparities in communities struggling with high rates of criminalization and incarceration.”

Several more large cities in California are launching similar programs. Just a month ago, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón indicated his intention to look at 5,000 cannabis-related convictions dating back to 1975. San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan also indicated a similar approach.

“The L.A. County Board also raised concerns about the disparate enforcement of cannabis laws, post legalization, in communities of color across the nation,” Nichitta said. “Ridley-Thomas and Solis’ motion adopted by the Board cited statistics showing that people of color are still disproportionately arrested or cited for cannabis-related crimes. As a result, in the coming months, Los Angeles County will be looking at data metrics to measure and prevent potential disproportionate enforcement here.”

Ridley-Thomas and Solis’ motion could pave the way to legislation in the county that will finally put an end to the corrupted institution that is cannabis prohibition.