California Takes The Lead In Pardons For Cannabis Convictions

The United States is leading the race when it comes to its prison population; with roughly 1.4 million or more people currently behind bars.

A great deal of people who have been put behind those bars are those who are guilty of victimless crimes related to drugs. And along with the push for legalization came the hope that for many who got caught up in this prison system, that their convictions would be lessened or pardoned.

For reversing the damage inflicted by the unreasonable war on drugs, now that legalization is taking place in various regions around the US, California is said to be leading the charge.

At the moment, following the passage of Proposition 64 there are a growing number of people who have been writing to seek permission to have their criminal records adjusted in light of the recent changes.

According to a report from the Public Standard, it's estimated that roughly 2,660 petitions have already been filed to try and seek reduced sentences.

And that's not all, there are over another 1,000 others that have been filed to try and seek for a re-classification of an old felony cannabis-related conviction.

However, despite many states making the move to legalize cannabis that doesn't mean that the federal government is on-board and they aren't. This is why it might be difficult, though has taken place for some, to start to reverse the damage that's been inflicted on many by the drug war. There are a multitude of convictions for victimless crimes that many are still serving and in recent years hundreds have been pardoned.

California will continue to be one of the biggest cannabis markets, it's estimated that entrepreneurs there will earn over $5 billion in revenue next year.

It doesn't seem to make any sense to have someone sitting behind bars for a non-violent cannabis-related conviction, now that further legalization has taken place. It never made sense. And it costs the state thousands of dollars to house those people in jail, which seems like a waste of money to spend on someone who is guilty of a non-violent 'crime'.

Sources:
http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/04/life-in-prison-for-pot-if-prop-64-passes-that-could-change/
https://psmag.com/social-justice/how-california-is-leading-the-way-on-marijuana-criminal-justice-reform
https://www.forbes.com/sites/julieweed/2017/11/26/california-weed-entrepreneurs-will-make-5-2b-in-2018-with-almost-no-banks-to-put-it-in/#34d042ba4e52
http://www.denverpost.com/2017/11/20/colorado-pardons-john-hickenlooper/
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/04/us/vermont-marijuana-pardons.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/colorado-releasing-marijuana-prisoners_n_4854244

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