Florida Rep. Dotie Joseph (D) has filed some very ambitious legislation, titled the “Collateral Consequences of Convictions and Decriminalization of Cannabis and All Drugs Act.” This bill’s ultimate goal is to decriminalize all drugs, though it also contains language that would bring relief to those with existing drug convictions.
Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have banded together on a bill that would incentivize states to expunge marijuana-related charges. The bill, titled the Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act, will give federal grants to cover the costs of identifying and clearing non-violent, eligible cases.
Ex-offenders face a number of hardships designed to keep them from succeeding in the workforce. In attempts to reduce these hardships, the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center motioned the Fair Chance Licensing Project, a notion set in place to assist ex-offenders in finding employement and offer solutions to labor shortages across all 50 states.
Philadelphia’s City Council has officially passed a bill prohibiting most employers from drug testing applicants for marijuana. The bill’s sponsors noted that medical cannabis is legal in the state, making drug tests contradictory in nature. The measure includes…
Having a criminal record can make it challenging to find housing, get hired for jobs, and even exercise your civil rights. Alabama wants to help those who have criminal records redeem themselves and find second chances to move…
Another state seeks to put an end to our nation’s faulty drug policies. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham recently signed two bills that will legalize recreational marijuana in the state, as well as expunge certain marijuana-related offenses.…
Let’s hear it for Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin, who has announced blanket pardons for over 15,000 Alabamians. The pardons will be applied to misdemeanor marijuana convictions dating back to 1990 and will serve to free these individuals from…
This past spring, a Florida bill that would make it easier for juveniles to expunge their arrest records passed unanimously. The bill provided more opportunities for expunctions after minors completed a behavioral program, which would have benefited thousands…
Legalization often comes with social justice objectives that seek to amend some of the damage that prohibition had on minority communities. Many states with legalization push marijuana tax dollars and license preferences towards these communities for the sake…