DC Council Makes it Easier to Seal Records

In another great victory for those who have had their lives partially ruined by unfair cannabis legislation, Washington D.C. legislature has ruled that it should be easier to seal your record for cannabis violations. 

While people like to shoot blame at Washington from across the nation for their federal ban on the substance, it looks like this is one area of the country that is actually coming around to a more reasonable policy. They have already determined that those caught with cannabis in D.C. should only be subject to a $25 fine, and they are soon to vote on whether having two ounces of cannabis should be legal in the area. 

This ruling about sealing records is yet another liberal and progressive move for the district. Councilmember David Grosso, an independent politician who introduced the bill to Congress, was quoted in The Washington Post saying “If we are going to decriminalize or legalize marijuana under the guise of social justice, we have to allow people who are disproportionately impacted by the old laws to go back to living their lives without consequence or stigma.”

Grosso is alluding to the fact that although many areas now allow legal cannabis, they don’t all allow records to be cleared, and those that do usually require an appeals process that can take up to two years. In D.C., people can now petition at any time to have their records cleared, and process should be pretty cut-and-dry and only take a few weeks. 

The prospect of legalization is certainly exciting for recreation, medicinal purposes, and revenue, but it is also important to keep in mind what this means for those who have had life-ruining charges placed on their records keeping them from renting a home or getting a job. With this new measure, thousands of unjustly persecuted people can get their lives back on track.