SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Tens of thousands of convictions for marijuana violations have been vacated in New Jersey.
Part of the deal when the state legalized marijuana for recreational use was clearing the records of people who had been arrested for certain violations.
Monday night, the state announced 88,000 cases have been tossed as part of a law that took effect July 1. The state Judiciary has identified about 360,000 cases that are likely to be dismissed automatically in the coming months.
People convicted of possessing or selling small amounts of marijuana, being under the influence of the drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia are eligible for expungement.
The order applies both to people with cases pending and people with sentences already completed.
The Judiciary is also working on an electronic database that allows people to check online to see if their case has been dismissed.
There is no word yet on when that database will be up and running.