New California Law Forces State to Clear Pot Convictions Faster
After an investigation found that tens of thousands of Californians still have felonies, misdemeanors and other cannabis convictions on their records, a new law will set new deadlines to dismiss and seal many cannabis convictions in the state.
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After an investigation found that tens of thousands of Californians still have felonies, misdemeanors and other cannabis convictions on their records, despite a 2018 law that required the state to clear, a new law will set new deadlines to dismiss and seal many cannabis convictions in the state, reports Kiera Feldman for the Los Angeles Times. The new law gives the courts a deadline of March 1 to update case records and transmit them to the state Department of Justice, which maintains California’s criminal history database and responds to background checks.
The state DOJ must modify its records by July 1. At least 34,000 marijuana records have not been fully processed by the courts. Court officials blamed a combination of factors for delays, including COVID-19, staffing shortages, outdated case management systems, old records that require manual review and technical issues.
