Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday said she would issue pardons for tens of thousands of people convicted of misdemeanor marijuana charges going back decades, the AP reports. Healey’s decision is the latest example of a state ambitiously seeking to forgive low-level drug offenders. In 2016, Massachusetts voters approved a question legalizing pot, the same year voters in California and Nevada also legalized recreational marijuana. Healey said the pardons are a simple matter of justice. “Massachusetts decriminalized possession for personal use back in 2008, legalized it in 2016, yet thousands of people are still living with a conviction on their records – a conviction that may be a barrier to jobs, getting housing, even getting an education,” she said.
The pardons – essentially forgiveness initiated by a governor for convictions -- take effect if the Governor’s Council approves Healey’s decision. Pardons would become effective immediately after the council votes, although it would take time to update criminal records. If approved, the pardons will apply to all adult Massachusetts state court misdemeanor convictions before March 13, 2024, for possession of marijuana or “Class D substance.” Most people will not need to take any action to have their criminal records updated, according to the Democrat and former state attorney general. The administration estimated the pardons announced Wednesday could end up benefitting hundreds of thousands of people.