Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - If you live in Erie County and you have been charged with a marijuana-related conviction and need it reduced or erased, you may want to consider attending a free informational clinic coming to Buffalo.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced Thursday morning two informational clinics with legal experts providing information on how to remove or reduce criminal convictions under the new state legislation.
"One of the components of the marijuana legalization was the ability for individuals who were previously convicted of a marijuana related offense to have their records either expunged or to have their charges reduced and the legislation that went to effect back in 2021, gave parameters for both of those realities," said DA Flynn.
Even though expungement process for cannabis-related crimes requires no action under the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation and Legislation Act (MRTA), the Office of Court Administration was granted two years to implement the automatic expungement process, which is not expected to complete until March 31st, 2023.
The convictions for marijuana-related offenses are making it difficult for those charged to find employment, join the military and even apply for a student loan, according to the district attorney.
"I asked around, 'Are we seeing many of these expungements getting done?' and the answer was no. The answer was basically, we're probably gonna have to wait for the two year mark. I found that, quite frankly, unacceptable. So I reached out to my friends at Legal Aid, and my friends at the Assigned Counsel Program and said, 'Hey, what can we do to speed this up?'" Flynn said.
These informational clinics are to be held at Elam Christian Fellowship on 70 Chalmers Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The first clinic is Thursday, Aug. 25th from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. and the second clinic is Saturday, Sept. 24th from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
DA Flynn says that they can get you through the legal process in about one month.
These clinics are available only to those with a conviction in Erie County, but DA Flynn says that they can get you in contact with someone from your county.
To listen to audio from the full announcement, see the player below: