Nevada governor announces plans to pardon small marijuana possession convictions
A resolution being drafted by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak would pardon tens of thousands of people who have been convicted for possessing small amounts of marijuana, according to a statement posted to Twitter Thursday.
“If approved, this resolution will clear the slate for thousands of people who bear the stigma of a conviction for actions that have now been decriminalized,” Sisolak said on Twitter.
Purchase, possession, and consumption of recreational marijuana, with some restrictions, became legal for people over the age of 21 in Nevada on January 1, 2017, according to a state website. The proposed resolution would pardon people who have been convicted of possessing less than one ounce of marijuana.
The pardon, which would be without conditions, would not apply to convictions of possession for the purpose of sale, according to the statement.
The resolution is on the Board of Pardons Commissioners’ agenda for next week, the statement said.
If the plan goes through, Nevada would join several other states in pardoning marijuana convictions following legalization of the drug.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced a “Marijuana Justice Initiative” in 2019 to expedite record clearances for thousands who were convicted of small-time possession charges. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker granted more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions one day before a sweeping law made cannabis legal in the state for people 21 and older in December.
