Hailed by advocates as a chance for people to “reclaim their lives,” a new California law will soon make it easier for people with past marijuana convictions to get their records expunged completely, or their sentences significantly reduced.
Assembly Bill 1793—passed by overwhelming majority in the California state Legislature and signed into law Sunday night by Gov. Jerry Brown—will streamline a previously tedious process that made it difficult for residents with a prior cannabis-related conviction to clear their names.
“This is transformative,” said Rodney Holcombe of the Drug Policy Alliance, a New York City-based national organization that advocates for human rights-driven drug policies. “This creates an opportunity for people to reclaim their lives."
