Seattle's mayor and city attorney announced plans to ask the courts to vacate all misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions that were prosecuted before it was legalized in Washington state in 2012 — a move that could affect the records of hundreds of people.
For years, pot convictions have had painful implications on the everyday lives of Washington's most vulnerable populations, Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a press conference Thursday.
"It could be a barrier to housing, to getting credit, to getting good jobs and an education," she said.
Once the misdemeanor charges are vacated or dismissed, she added, those seeking employment, applying to school, or trying to rent an apartment, "can check they do not have a conviction after this is done."
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