Illinois Governor Expunges Nearly Half a Million Cannabis Records

Gov. J.B. Pritzker also issued pardons for thousands of low-level cannabis-related convictions.

Illinois State House Adobe Stock Credit Henryk Sadura Resized
Henryk Sadura | Adobe Stock
Melissa Schiller
January 4, 2021

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Dec. 31 that he would expunge nearly half a million cannabis records and issue pardons for thousands more low-level cannabis convictions, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report.

The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, which passed in 2019 to legalize adult-use cannabis in Illinois, mandated that 47,000 cannabis-related arrest records between 2013 and 2019 be expunged by Jan. 1, the news outlet reported.

Pritzker’s New Year’s Eve announcement pardoned 9,129 low-level cannabis conviction records and expunged 492,192 cannabis arrest records, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

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