Gov. Pritzker Pardons 11,000 Marijuana Convictions

ILLINOIS — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker granted 11,017 pardons to low-level cannabis offenders Tuesday just before the legalization of recreational cannabis in the state. The pardons, which will expunge records, will affect Illinoisans in 92 counties.

"Tomorrow, when adult-use cannabis becomes legal, pay attention to the fact that we are beginning to accomplish four very important things," Pritzker said at Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's South Side, according to a release from his office.

"We are ending the 50-year-long war on cannabis. We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans. We are bringing regulation and safety to a previously unsafe and illegal market. And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core," he said.

Pritzker said Illinois differs from other states that have legalized marijuana by including communities affected by the war on drugs in building entrepreneurship for the product.

They will "have real opportunities in this industry," he said.

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Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton added, "Our Restore, Reinvest and Renew program will direct 25 percent of the state's cannabis revenue right back into the communities hit the hardest by decades of over-policing, disinvestment, disenfranchisement and violence."

Here's how the waves of expungements will work:

There are 116,000 convictions up to 30 grams with no violent offense, which will be expunged. Other nonviolent convictions, which took place alongside marijuana convictions, will not be expunged.

Convictions for between 30 and 500 grams are eligible to be vacated.

Arrests that did not result in a conviction but are still public record will be expunged automatically. This affects about 572,000 arrest records.

See the governor's press release for more information.

Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a civil rights organization, sent Patch the following statement on the news:

"We applaud bold action taken by Governor Pritzker to right wrongs of the past by issuing pardons to thousands of people carrying convictions for low-level marijuana possession. The racial disparities infecting our criminal justice system are undeniable and have disproportionately impacted Black and brown communities. We may not be able to erase all of the damage that the war on drugs has unleashed on communities of color but, going forward, we can provide all individuals with low-level marijuana convictions the chance to start anew and overcome barriers to reentry."