The Success of National Expungement Week

National Expungement Week (N.E.W.) occurred between Oct. 20-27. For those of you who missed it or are unsure of what it entailed, this countrywide event offered services to those who have negative marks on their record for cannabis arrests and charges.

According to Cage-Free Cannabis, 18 events were held during that particular week, and 15 cities participated. About 298 people were given the chance to start on their journey to expungement, which included submitting the proper information and paperwork. Approximately 400 took advantage of other social services such as health, employment and voter registration as well.

Changing a permanent record is no easy feat, and organizations such as this one have vowed to help as many people as it can to seek out justice for those who need it. “With that in mind, N.E.W. events will offer as many wraparound services as possible to restore people’s rights and lift up communities,” says www.offtherecord.us, where most of the N.E.W. information is published.

Many organizations such as Equity First Alliance announced their support to help those affected by injustice due to charges garnered from cannabis possession or consumption. According to their sources, too many people are arrested or charged with crimes relating to cannabis. “In 2016, 653,249 people were arrested in the United States on cannabis-related charges—meaning that even as legalization sweeps the nation, over half a million people are still losing their liberty, access to education, access to housing, and access to future employment, every year.” This year, other participants such as Cage-Free Cannabis, Cage-Free Repair, Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council, Minorities for Medical Marijuana,  California Cannabis Advocates, Tree Femme Collective, We BAKED, The Pot Lab, and Smart Pharm Research Group shared the same sentiments and worked together to help clear names.

All in all, the week-long event succeeded gloriously. As a result of this overwhelming support, the future of N.E.W. is bright. So bright in fact that organizers are looking to expand its services to year-long offerings instead of just a single week. “The true lesson of National Expungement Week is that we need to expand eligibility and access to legal relief. Laws must be changed so that people can restore their rights and successfully re-enter their communities more easily,” said Felicia Carbajal, leader of the Van Nuys, California event.