The second annual Vlasic Classic Charity Golf mixer was recently held in Missouri by the brand of the same name, Vlasic Labs. The Vlasic Classic featured an 18-hole golf tournament in which 27 teams participated. More than 100 participants representing various advocates and legislators both from Missouri and throughout the country were drawn to the tournament at the Old Kinderhook Golf Club in the Lake of the Ozarks.

The event raised $43,000, which will be granted to the Last Prisoner Project to assist people who have been imprisoned for cannabis-related crimes. This includes “supporting legal efforts, reentry programs, and advocacy work aimed at freeing cannabis prisoners and helping them reintegrate into society,” Vlasic Labs wrote in a press release. 

“This event brings together the things we love most and allows us to give back to the community in a significant way. The support we received from the cannabis industry and the funds raised for the Last Prisoner Project demonstrate the positive impact we can achieve together,” said Vlasic Labs co-founder, Rick Vlasic.

Vlasic Labs offers hemp-based wellness products through tinctures, topicals, and gummies, with a focus on CBD, CBG, and CBN. Additionally, the brand developed a specific line of products dedicated to pets as well. It prioritizes product experiences both for everyday consumers, as well as those who do more physically demanding work and also athletes.

Immediately after the conclusion of the Missouri-based golf tournament, Vlasic Classic announced that it will be hosting another event at St. John’s Resort in Michigan between Aug. 16-18. “As Vlasic Labs prepares for the Michigan Vlasic Classic, the company is committed to continuing its tradition of philanthropy and community support,” the brand wrote. “The upcoming event promises to build on the momentum and success of the Missouri outing, furthering the impact of the Last Prisoner Project and celebrating the shared values of the Vlasic family and their partners.”

Historically, the Vlasic family often took part in philanthropic endeavors. Vlasic Labs wrote on its website that before World War II, Vlasic ancestor Joseph Vlasic took part in streamlining milk delivery in the Midwest. Later with his son Robert, they developed a pickle brand that eventually became one of the most famous pickle brands in the world: Vlasic Family Pickle. Through that success, Robert Vlasic donated his accrued wealth to the Henry Ford Health System, the Michigan Humane Society, and the University of Michigan.

Vlasic Labs launched its brand in 2019, co-founded by Rick Vlasic and his son, Willy, to continue on the legacy of honest family branding. “The Vlasic Family founded Vlasic Labs on the same principles and values that brought their pickles into the refrigerators of 90 million Americans: quality, consistency, and value,” the brand website stated.

“Our journey from dairy to pickles, and now to hemp wellness, is driven by a mission to innovate for the betterment of society,” Rick Vlasic said in March. Rick is proud to have been taught by both his grandfather (Joseph) and father (Robert), and he forged his own path in the 1980s when he helped the “Big 3” auto companies enter the digital age by developing digital e-learning courses focused on healthcare and safety.

Cannabis and golf are an excellent match. Consuming cannabis on the green is easy, and the high can last as long as the game (as long as you’ve confirmed that it’s permitted at your course of choice). Back in 2018, Golf Digest studied three golfers of three different skill levels (semi-pro, amateur, and casual) and how their performance changed after getting high with various doses (6 mg, 18 mg, 34 mg, and 50 mg). “Like everything else in life, moderation is key. A little bit of marijuana—in this case, around 18 milligrams—can help to relax muscles and calm nerves, aiding distance and overall tee-to-green performance,” Golf Digest wrote. “Consume in excess of that, however, and focus, energy, hand-eye coordination, and munchies become major impediments. In the most general terms, marijuana use on the golf course reflected our experience with alcohol: A little goes a long way, but a little too much will have you playing from the wrong fairway for the rest of the afternoon.”

While that study was conducted over six years ago, plenty more studies have unveiled the benefits of cannabis when applied to other sports or forms of exercise. Some athletes have found results in using cannabis for recovery, according to a 2023 study. Another study from last year found evidence that cannabis could help some athletes prevent brain damage.

The mainstream reputation of cannabis today has even led major sports organizations like the NCAA, NBA, and more, to loosen restrictions on cannabis consumption. Over time, many athletes came out publicly defending their right to consume cannabis and help treat their various sports-related conditions and injuries.

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On Dec. 22, President Joe Biden announced that he will be expanding his pardon initiative to include offenses that occurred on federal properties.

“America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect this core value that makes our communities safer and stronger,” Biden said in his statement. “That is why today I am announcing additional steps I am taking to make the promise of equal justice a reality.”

This includes two actions: First, that Biden will commute the sentences of 11 people serving time for non-violent drug offenses. Second, Biden issued a proclamation that will pardon simple possession and cannabis consumption under federal and D.C. law. “Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” his statement continued. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

While Biden has received many letters from state governors petitioning him to reschedule cannabis, he included a short statement asking governors to issue similar acts of clemency.

As Biden concluded, he also made promises to continue these clemency actions to free more people from unjust cannabis sentences in the future. “I have exercised my clemency power more than any recent predecessor has at this point in their presidency,” Biden said. “And while today’s announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equal justice, address racial disparities, strengthen public safety, and enhance the wellbeing of all Americans.”

Biden’s first pardons as president were in April 2022 during “Second Chance Month,” which include the pardons of three people, including Betty Jo Bogans, Abraham W. Bolden Sr., and Dexter Eugene Jackson, commuted sentences for 75 people.

In October 2022, Biden made a historic announcement to pardon people with federal cannabis offenses. He said he would pardon those with simple cannabis possession, but also call on state governors to do the same, while also asking the Department of Health and Human Services and Attorney General to begin reviewing cannabis’ current schedule. Later that year in December 2022, he pardoned six more people, including Gary Parks Davis, Edward Lincoln De Coito III, Vincente Ray Flores, Beverly Ann Ibn-Tamas, Charlie Byrnes, and John Dix Nock III.

NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri told High Times that at the time, Biden’s actions were long overdue. “For nearly two years, NORML has called upon the Administration to fulfill the President’s campaign promise to provide relief to those stigmatized with a low-level cannabis conviction,” Altieri said. “We are pleased that today President Biden is following through on this pledge and that he is also encouraging governors to take similar steps to ensure that the tens of millions of Americans with state-level convictions for past marijuana crimes can finally move forward with their lives.”

In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officially called upon the DEA to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III following review. “Following the data and science, HHS has expeditiously responded to President Biden’s directive to HHS Secretary [Xavier Becerra] and provided its scheduling recommendation for marijuana to the DEA on August 29, 2023,” the letter to the DEA stated.

The DEA has a five-factor test to reconsider a drug for rescheduling, and previously cannabis has failed with passing only four of the five points. The five points include: “1.) The drug’s chemistry must be known and reproducible, 2.) There must be adequate safety studies, 3.) There must be adequate and well-controlled studies proving efficacy, 4.) The drug must be accepted by qualified experts, and 5.) The scientific evidence must be widely available.”

NORML was the first organization to file a petition to reschedule cannabis back in 1972. More than 10 years later in 1988, a DEA judge determined that cannabis didn’t meet the criteria for rescheduling. Later in 1990, a different judge set aside the ruling, but eventually in 1994, the original 1988 ruling was chosen in the decision. Later in 1995, NORML filed another rescheduling petition, which was denied in 2001. In 2002, another petition was filed, and the DEA denied it in 2011. That same year, a petition was filed by the governors of Rhode Island and Washington state, which was once again denied in 2016. 

With a history of petition denial, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano recently spoke about the possibility of the DEA’s review outcome being different than previous attempts at rescheduling. “It will be very interesting to see how DEA responds to this recommendation, given the agency’s historic opposition to any potential change in cannabis’ categorization under federal law,” said Armentano. “Further, for decades, the agency has utilized its own five-factor criteria for assessing cannabis’ placement in the CSA—criteria that as recently as 2016, the agency claimed that cannabis failed to meet. Since the agency has final say over any rescheduling decision, it is safe to say that this process still remains far from over.”

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Just over a year ago, Missouri voters approved Amendment 3 to legalize cannabis possession and sales for adults over 21. While witnessing how quickly the market found its footing, with sales beginning less than three months later on Feb. 3, 2023, perhaps more impressive is the state’s commitment to cannabis-related expungements.

Under Amendment 3, all nonviolent cases related to cannabis are required to be expunged, meaning that the case record is sealed or destroyed and involved persons are cleared of their charges. While fully completing expungements is unlikely to happen under the deadlines indicated in the new law, the state has expunged nearly 100,000 cannabis convictions from government records according to a KMBC 9 report.

The law includes a June 8 deadline for misdemeanor expungements and a Dec. 8 deadline for felony expungements, with an exception for those still incarcerated or currently under supervision by the Department of Corrections.

Dan Viets, a Missouri attorney with a focus on defending cannabis cases, wrote parts of the constitutional amendment. Speaking with KMBC 9, he nodded to these missed deadlines and highlighted the sheer amount of work involved in expunging Missouri’s cannabis-related cases.

“We have always said that as long as the courts, the circuit clerks in particular, are making a good faith effort to comply with the law, to get those cases expunged, that we’ll be satisfied,” Viets said. “They have not technically met the deadline. But on the other hand, we’re dealing with a century of marijuana prohibition in Missouri. So, there are hundreds of thousands of cases.”

The progress is evident, as reports from June 2023 show that the state had expunged about 44,000 cases at the time. And even over the summer, experts had already theorized that the deadlines imposed by the amendment were unlikely to be met.

Stephen Sokoloff, senior counsel for the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, believed that the deadlines were destined to fail from the beginning, calling the amendment “very poorly written” and drafted without Missouri law in mind.

“So it doesn’t actually track a lot of the aspects of Missouri law,” Sokoloff told St. Louis Public Radio in June. “As a result, it makes it a lot more difficult for compliance because there’s some mashing of square pegs into round holes that has to go on.”

Tackling the entirety of the state’s nonviolent cannabis-related offenses is made even harder given the way expungements are treated throughout the state. Some counties are quick to clear cannabis convictions, while judges and prosecutors in other counties have resisted and further delay expungements.

Viets spoke to this reality over the summer to Missouri NORML, where he also works as a coordinator.

“It is clear that many counties have made no serious effort to comply with the requirements of the Missouri Constitution,” he said. “It should not be necessary to seek a court order in order to force our courts to comply with the Missouri Constitution, but if that is what is required, we may pursue that option. There is no reason why these counties should be dragging their feet and failing to comply with the law as passed by the voters of our state.”

John Mueller, co-owner of 31 Greenlight Dispensary stores with 15 in Missouri alone, told KMBC 9 that revenues have tripled since making the switch from medical to recreational. That increased revenue from adult-use cannabis sales generates tax dollars for municipalities and the state, which in turn could be used for the expungement process, he pointed out.

“That’s one of the things that I think the industry is the most proud of,” Mueller said in the report, “is getting that in the Constitution.”

While 100,000 cases in a year is worth celebrating, Missouri is only just getting started. Viets told KMBC 9 that lawsuits are possible if specific communities don’t put in the work to expunge cannabis-related offenses covered by the new law. Even with the current progress, Viets added that he expects the entirety of expungements to take years to fully complete.

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Despite the dramatic shift in opinion about cannabis in America, Kentucky law enforcement agents continued to charge people with cannabis-related charges at a steady rate, in tandem with offenses across the board.

According to analysis of the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) data, more than 300,000 people in Kentucky have been charged with a cannabis-related crime over the past two decades. That’s nearly two people every hour, every day between June 2002 and July 2022, the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy wrote. To be fair, just one out of 10 of the 3.1 million people charged with a crime in Kentucky in that time period faced cannabis charges, but the numbers are still too high.

“Every corner of the commonwealth has seen people charged with cannabis crimes with some counties having dozens charged and others tens of thousands,” Kentucky Center for Economic Policy wrote.

“Data also reveals starkly different conviction rates, with some rural areas nearly twice as likely to convict someone for a cannabis charge than Kentucky’s biggest city. Still, as much of the country has moved to more permissive policies, Kentucky continues to subject people to incarceration, burdensome fines, community supervision, and criminal charges for cannabis crimes. These consequences have lasting, harmful effects on people’s economic security, employment, health, housing and ability to fully participate in community life. And these consequences often fall disproportionately on low-income and Black and Brown Kentuckians.”

Possession remains the most common cannabis charge in Kentucky, a Class B misdemeanor that can lead up to 45 days in jail and a fine of up to $250.

Cannabis Charges Impact Lives

Just how widespread is the issue? The report’s county-by-county data also shows that every community in the state is affected. “Every Kentucky county had people charged with cannabis offenses during these two decades—from 68 people in Robertson County to 72,717 in Jefferson County,” the report reads. “Expressed as the number of annualized cannabis-related charges per 1,000 county residents in the two-decade period, 1.5 people per 1,000 had a cannabis charge in Robertson County in contrast to 8.4 people per 1,000 in Carroll County. Lyon County is an outlier, where 16.4 people per 1,000 had a cannabis charge.”

The report was completed and written by authors Kaylee Raymer, Ashley Spalding, Pam Thomas, Dustin Pugel, and Carmen Mitchell. You can read the center’s full report in PDF format here.

“While most of those 300,000 people were charged with possession, their lives are still impacted,” Kaylee Raymer, policy analyst for the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, told Fox 56. “Whether it’s through fines and fees, it could affect their ability to get public housing or their ability to get a job if that’s on their record. So there are still consequences that come with cannabis-related charges.”

The Kentucky Legislature reduced the penalty for cannabis possession in 2011 and the 2023 General Assembly took an important step in legalizing a limited model of medical cannabis starting in 2025. The only qualifying conditions are chronic pain, chronic nausea/vomiting, epilepsy/seizure disorder, multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms/spasticity, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

That said, Kentucky is still among just 18 “cannabis desert” states that continue to prohibit cannabis in spite of the shift in public opinion.

Over the past two decades—running from July 1, 2002 to June 29, 2022—an estimated 303,264 people in Kentucky were charged with various cannabis offenses, according to AOC data published by the Vera Institute of Justice.  Since 1983, the prison custody population has increased 168%, the Vera Institute of Justice reported in its recent Incarceration Trends Report.

In 2019, 20,087 people were charged with a cannabis offense, with a 53% conviction rate. But due to the pandemic, there were much fewer arrests and case delays as most courts were closed.

Curiously, despite cannabis being viewed as virtually harmless by many, cannabis conviction held steady in tandem with conviction rates for all offenses. Between 2003 and 2021 the conviction rate for people charged with cannabis offenses was 59% and for all offenses was 63%, on average.

New Changes in Kentucky Cannabis Law

There are also new laws in place, particularly regarding hemp-derived cannabinoids.

On March 23, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed a bill to regulate hemp-derived delta-8 THC products. Beshear signed an executive order last year to regulate delta-8 THC and similar products, but that only affected the packaging and labeling of products.

House Bill 544 mandates that only adults 21 and over can buy products containing delta-8 THC—a hemp-derived compound frequently marketed as psychoactive—which began on August 1.

Per the bill, the state will regulate “any product containing delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol or any other hemp-derived substance identified by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services as having intoxicating effects on consumers.” 

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A trio of dedicated attorneys—Andrew Cooper of Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP, Michael Hoffman of The Hoffman Centers PC, and John Williams of the Law Office of John D. Williams—are donating their time to help people expunge their records at an upcoming cannabis convention in New Jersey.

People currently sit in prison for cannabis-related convictions that are essentially the same activities that are now legal in dozens of states. Like several other states, New Jersey provided a pathway to expungement, though it usually takes the expertise of a legal professional. Certain low-level cannabis convictions in New Jersey are eligible for expungement, and an on-site legal team at the convention can provide more information about the criteria.

NJBiz reports that running from Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, New Jersey, the 420 Expo calls itself a “stigma-free celebration of the legal cannabis lifestyle” and will feature more than 100 vendors, live entertainment, educational seminars, celebrity appearances, and most importantly, expungement assistance. 

“People with cannabis convictions often find it impossible to find jobs, housing, or college loans. They often lose their right to vote and the ability to receive public assistance. Many employers won’t hire anyone with a drug conviction or have policies requiring immediate termination if a past drug arrest is discovered—with or without a conviction. The issue is even more profound when you consider that a significant majority of those arrested for cannabis have been simple possession charges,” said Cooper, who is also chair of the Cannabis & Psychedelics Practice Group at Falcon Rappaport & Berkman.

Cooper continued, “The so-called war on drugs has been particularly hard on minority and low-income communities, and although studies show white, brown, and Black people use cannabis equally, Black and brown people were nearly four times as likely to be arrested for cannabis violations. Despite laws designed to assist these communities, the individuals affected most are also least able to benefit due to a lack of access to information and support. The Expungement Clinics at 420 Expo are intended to provide the kind of meaningful access to information otherwise sorely lacking in society.”

Their plans “will provide access to legitimate support that can help people take advantage of their legal rights and make huge steps in achieving their social justice,” said Davis, who is co-founder of 420 Expo. The convention will host Cheech Marin and a lineup of education events and vendors. “We are thrilled to bring this type of necessary social support to our three-day cannabis celebration,” Davis said.

420 Expo will include VIP meet and greets with Marin as well as guest appearances by other cannabis-related celebrities and more than 20 seminars and panels appealing to both casual and experienced cannabis enthusiasts. The event will also feature product demonstrations, gaming areas, contests, glass blowing and axe throwing. Outdoors, there will be a large smoking section in addition to a variety of food trucks.

While THC products will not be sold at 420 Expo, attendees may bring the legal limit for personal use under state law, according to organizers.

420 Expo will be open 5 to 11 p.m. on Sept. 29, noon to 9 p.m. Sept. 30 and noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 1. For more information or to purchase advance tickets to this 21-plus event, visit 420Expo.com.

New Jersey’s Cannabis Expungement Provisions

The Marijuana Decriminalization Law took effect July 1, 2021, and requires the expungement of certain cannabis and hashish cases. As a result, the Supreme Court has ordered that thousands of cases be expunged.

People in New Jersey with low-level cannabis cases can apply for expungement, including those convicted of distribution of cannabis less than one ounce or hashish less than five grams. possession of more than 50 grams of marijuana, or more than five grams of hashish.

If the case included only one of the above offenses and any of the below offenses, it was expunged: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Use or Being Under Influence of Controlled, Dangerous Substance, and Failure to Make Lawful Disposition of Controlled, Dangerous Substance.

New Jersey’s legislation does not require that every cannabis-related charge be expunged. If you have questions about your specific case, ask an attorney at the convention or Legal Services of New Jersey. You can go to the court where your case was heard to confirm that your record was cleared and receive a certification. Find more details in Directive #24-21.

Expungement means the cannabis crimes are no longer part of your record, and it won’t end up on a job application, housing application, or college application. The case has been removed from the public record and cannot be used to keep you from school, housing, or most jobs.

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For the second time in three weeks, Singapore officials executed a man by hanging for a nonviolent cannabis-related charge in what critics are calling a “killing spree.”

A Malay man in Singapore, 37, whose family asked for him not to be named, was executed at Changi Prison Complex in the eastern part of the city for allegedly trafficking 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) of cannabis. That would be considered a commercial delivery in one of the U.S. legal markets.

He was executed despite a last-minute attempt to appeal his case, which was rejected by the court without a hearing. Al Jazeera reports that ​​Singapore officials hanged 11 people last year—all for drug-related charges—after a brief pause of killing during the COVID pandemic.

Just over one pound of pot warrants a death sentence: Under Singapore’s abnormally strict drug laws, trafficking more than 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of cannabis can result in the death penalty. “Drug traffickers are less likely to traffic drugs and reduce the amount of drugs trafficked if they are aware of the penalties involved,” the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) claims, referring to its use of capital punishment by hanging. 

Kokila Annamalai of the Transformative Justice Collective said was convicted in 2019 of trafficking about 1.5 kilograms of cannabis.

“If we don’t come together to stop it, we fear that this killing spree will continue in the weeks and months to come,” Annamalai told The Associated Press.

According to the man, authorities lied about the amount of cannabis involved, and that it was actually a smaller amount than they claimed. The man appealed to reopen the case, based on DNA evidence and fingerprints that linked him to a much smaller amount of pot—which he admitted to possessing—but the court rejected it.

Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was executed at dawn on April 26, rejecting a growing number of anti-death penalty campaigners to end the country’s cruel use of capital punishment.

Tangaraju was originally sentenced to death on October 9, 2018 for attempting to traffic more than 1 kilogram of cannabis to Singapore. He was originally detained in 2014 for drug consumption and failure to report for a drug test. 

Tangaraju was also held at Singapore’s Changi Prison Complex.

British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, a long opponent of the death penalty, and a group of world leaders called for action for what they describe as a disturbing case of what may be an innocent man.

The hanging took place in a country that canes people for tagging walls with punishments much harsher than you’d see in the U.S.

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, a Malaysian with learning disabilities, was executed on a drug charge last year, but his case prompted protests, which is a rarity in Singapore. Through the years, Singapore has dealt with “Malayophobia,” another factor that complicates cases such as this.

In a report in March, Harm Reduction International (HRI) found that despite a worldwide shift towards abolishing capital punishment, there were at least 285 executions for drug-related charges last year, more than double the number the year prior.

Singapore isn’t the only country employing medieval punishments for drugs. HRI reminds readers that China, Vietnam, and North Korea also execute people for nonviolent drug charges.

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‘Cash only’ rules have led to armed robberies and murder. Now Congress has its best chance to pass desperately needed reform.

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The murder of Jordan Brown has forced me to change my opposition to the SAFE Banking Act. It should change Sen. Cory Booker’s mind too.

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Our store’s inability to accept credit cards has left my co-workers staring at the barrel of a gun. Twice. Something’s got to change.

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California courts would face a deadline to implement expungements for past cannabis-related convictions under a bill introduced in the State Assembly on Wednesday. 

The legislation sponsored by State Assemblymember Mia Bonta would require courts to update case files for marijuana-related convictions and transmit them to the California Department of Justice by January 1, 2023, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. The state justice department would then be required to use the information from the courts to update its records by July 1, 2023.

“California made a promise. I’m focused on making sure that California keeps its promises,” said Bonta. “This bill would allow us to automatically seal qualifying cannabis criminal records.”

Proposition 64, the landmark 2016 voter initiative that legalized recreational marijuana in California, included provisions to carry out expungements of convictions for cannabis-related offenses no longer illegal under state law. Further legislation passed in 2018 required the state to take the lead on clearing past marijuana convictions.

But a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed earlier this month that the courts have still not processed the records for at least 34,000 cases. Under Bonta’s bill, the state Department of Justice would be directed to update the records if prosecutors or the courts fail to meet their prescribed deadlines.

“By default, the record would be sealed if the case is eligible,” said Bonta. “There are 34,000 people in the state of California… who are not able to truly and fully live their lives because there has been a failure to fully implement the law.”

No Expungements Progress in Some Counties

Some counties, including Los Angeles and Santa Clara Counties, have made significant progress in clearing past cannabis convictions. But the investigation found that some counties have not yet fully processed any cases eligible for expungement, including Riverside County, where 21,000 cases await action. Another 5,400 cases in San Bernardino County have not been cleared. The delay comes despite the counties receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funds allocated to process the records.

“The court has begun working on these cases, and resources permitting, intends to complete the work by July 1, 2022,” said San Bernardino Superior Court spokesperson Julie Van Hook.

Bonta’s bill also requires the Judicial Council to collect data on cannabis conviction expungement and make regular public reports on the state’s progress. Additionally, the legislation requires the state justice department to head a public awareness campaign to inform those affected that their records have been cleared and they no longer have to disclose their past convictions. The measure also expands eligibility for expungement to some conspiracy convictions where prosecutors have the discretion to charge an offense as either a felony or a misdemeanor.

Bonta said that expunging past convictions for cannabis-related crimes is needed to address the harm and racial inequities caused by cannabis prohibition.

“Black people, people of color, especially were targeted by the War on Drugs,” said Bonta. “[The bill] is in a sense a form of reparations.”

Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender Nick Stewart-Oaten, a board member of the California Public Defenders Association, applauded Bonta’s proposed legislation.

“For decades, the justice system quickly and enthusiastically destroyed the lives of men, women, and children accused of nonviolent marijuana offenses—this bill simply requires the system to act with similar enthusiasm and speed when giving the formerly convicted back their lives,” Stewart-Oaten said in a statement.

The legislation is also supported by the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for the release of all people incarcerated for cannabis offenses. Gracie Burger, the group’s state policy director, said in a statement that Bonta’s bill would “ensure that California delivers on its overdue promise to those harmed by the War on Drugs.”

So far, no groups have expressed opposition to the legislation. Riverside Superior Court spokesperson Marita Ford wrote in an email that the “court doesn’t really have any comment on the pending legislation but if it is passed, we will of course ensure compliance.”

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