Thanks to reader Mike.

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It looks like they are taking the convictions of their records, too.

By
Matt Agorist -
June 28, 2019

On June 25, 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed HB 1438 into law which ends cannabis prohibition and replaces it with a system to tax and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and over. But the bill didn’t stop there, it also includes an automatic expungement process for those whose lives have been ruined by the state who kidnapped and caged them for possessing marijuana.

Unlike the previous measures in other states, which fell short by requiring people with marijuana convictions to file forms and requests within arduous bureaucratic restraints, HB 1438 is automatic. Now, people arrested for possessing this plant in small amounts won’t have to do anything to have it wiped from their records.

HB 1438 will usher in one of the most sweeping criminal justice reforms so far in the cannabis movement.

The governor’s clemency process will be used for convictions of up to 30 grams. These expungements will be automatic.

For amounts of 30-500 grams, the clemency process also applies, however the individual must petition the court to vacate the conviction.

In all, around 770,000 cannabis-related records will be eligible for expungement.

While the bill does require people who have been arrested with larger amounts to file a petition, no other bills go as far as HB 1438 to undo the damage caused by the prohibition of marijuana.

According to the bill, it also creates a social equity program to help those whose lives and communities have been ruined by the war on marijuana.