PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania has unveiled a new program aimed at pardoning thousands of residents with marijuana-related convictions, putting the effort to help them on a fast track.
Over the next month, the Wolf administration will use an expedited process to pardon people with non-violent marijuana convictions.
Democratic Lt. Governor John Fetterman’s chief of staff Christina Kauffman says the PA Marijuana Pardon Project has the potential to open the door for thousands of Pennsylvanians to help further their careers and lives.
“This is a chance for people who have old convictions, or even newer ones, to get that off their record so they cannot be discriminated against,” said Kauffman.
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“We've heard stories of people who are declined the ability to volunteer at their child's school because they have this stupid, old marijuana-related conviction.”
Kauffman adds that because of a lack of movement in Harrisburg, this pardoning is needed to help people trying to make a change for the better.
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“In the absence of the legislature making the common-sense move of legalizing marijuana, a lot of people are still trying to improve their lives despite having these charges on their record for doing something most Pennsylvanians don’t even think should be illegal,” she said.
Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus spokesperson Jason Gottesman said in part that the Wolf-Fetterman administration has shown that they not only have disregard for the legislative process, but the judicial process as well.
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He called the project a literal “Get Out of Jail Free” card outside the normal scope of the pardons process. He said it lacks serious oversight and does even more to pick winners and losers in the criminal justice reform process.
The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons will accept applications for the PA Marijuana Pardon Project through the end of the month.