Pardons of previous cannabis convictions can be life changing, and celebrities are no exception.
On January 14, rapper Meek Mill took to Instagram to celebrate the pardon he received from the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons in relation to the 2008 charges of weapon and drug possession against him, that led to a handful of highly publicized probation ordeals and a 2017 prison sentence.
“Thankyall,” he captioned the post, proudly displaying the office notice, followed by a smiling, teary-eyed emoji. “I’m only gone do more for my community on god!”
The document reads, “And whereas, the Board of Pardons, after full hearing, upon due public notice, and in open session, have recommended to me, in writing, with the reasons therefore, the pardon of the said Robert R. Williams which recommendation and reasons have been filed in the office of the Lieutenant Governor.”
Due to the pardon, Mill’s criminal record will be expunged, effectively ending a long, challenging and public journey at odds with the justice system.
After his experiences, Mill became a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform, speaking openly about how the American prison system has mistreated people of color on platforms like NBC’s Dateline and the release of the 2019 documentary, Free Meek.
“I had eight years of probation that turned to 16 years of probation,” Mill said in an interview with Lester Holt. “Something is not working.”
Mill’s legal team fought for his release in court, as Philadelphia prosecutors also sided with him, arguing that his initial charges should be vacated because of alleged corruption surrounding his arresting officer. At the time of the trial, the hashtag #FreeMeekMill was trending on social media, with supporters similarly aiming to raise awareness of the rapper’s story.
Mill, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, often shouts out to the city in his music, including his song “Philadelphia Born and Raised.” The rapper, born Robert Williams, posted alongside the news that, now former, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) issued 369 pardons.
With this recent round of pardons, former Gov. Wolf has brought his total number of pardons to 2,540. In a news release, the governor spoke out about the importance of making such moves.
“I have taken this process very seriously—reviewing and giving careful thought to each and every one of these 2,540 pardons and the lives they will impact,” Wolf said. “Every single one of the Pennsylvanians who made it through the process truly deserves their second chance, and it’s been my honor to grant it. A record prevents positive forward motion in a person’s life, and can spark a repetitive cycle of defeat. I firmly believe that with restored rights, pardoned Pennsylvanians prove themselves by stepping up and giving back to our communities.”
The total makes it the highest number of pardons granted by a governor in the history of the state. Gov. Ed Rendell (D) held the previous record, with 1,122 pardons granted.
The move follows President Joe Biden’s executive order in October 2022 pardoning all prior federal offenses for simple cannabis possession. Biden also urged all governors to do the same with regard to state offenses for simple possession of cannabis.
“My intent by this proclamation is to pardon only the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of Federal law or in violation of D.C. Code 48–904.01(d)(1), and not any other offenses related to marijuana or other controlled substances,” Biden said.
Many hailed the move as historic and pivotal for the bigger picture of restorative justice and cannabis, though advocates were dismayed to learn that Biden only granted six pardons as part of his end-of-year clemency actions at 2022’s close.
