In a unanimous vote on June 17, the Nevada State Board of Pardons Commissioners approved an amended resolution put forth by Gov. Steve Sisolak to pardon low-level cannabis convictions in the state, according to a press release.
The resolution pardons those previously convicted of the possession of one ounce or less of cannabis, and the Secretary of the Board of Pardons has been charged with creating an expedited process for those seeking pardons.
“Today is an historic day for those who were convicted of what has long been considered a trivial crime, and is now legal under Nevada law,” Gov. Sisolak said in a public statement. “Since the passage of Question 2 in 2016 and the decriminalization of possession for small amounts of marijuana, many Nevadans have had these minor offenses remain on their records, in some cases as a felony. This resolution aims to correct that and fully restore any rights lost as a result of these convictions.”
The move will pardon thousands of past cannabis-related convictions, according to the state’s press release.
“The governor and the members of the Pardons Board are to be commended for taking this proactive stance,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said in a public statement. “Thousands of citizens unduly carry the undue burden and stigmatization of a past conviction for behavior that is no longer considered to be a crime. Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that officials move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization."
