California's push to fully legalize marijuana in the state has now reached its second equally pivotal stage.
Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) has pushed for the dismissal of past marijuana-related criminal records in a move that could see thousands of California voters getting a fresh start.
According to members of the marijuana legalization movement, the current legislation requires the process to be initiated by the convicted parties.
However, this is not only an expensive process but it's also one that few can undertake due to its complicated nature.
Up until September 2017, only a small percentage of the people with marijuana-related convictions had petitioned the courts to get their charges expunged.
Legislation Expected to Boost Employment and Housing
Speaking during last week's news conference in Sacramento, Bonta made it clear that his proposition was especially designed to assist lower-middle class to low-class citizens in getting their records cleaned so they could be given access to more employment opportunities.
He also talked about the disproportionate nature of the recorded marijuana-related crimes, saying that young minorities bore the brunt of the convictions.
Starting this month, marijuana dispensaries are now allowed to sell the drug for recreational use, completing the first phase of the Golden State's move to make marijuana legal for both medical and non-medical uses. In addition to the expedition of the process to expunge past marijuana crime records, another stalled proposal was debuted last year, and this one would restrict local law enforcement from seeking federal assistance to crack down on any marijuana sellers and growers.
The bill was introduced by Los Angeles Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer last year. Its progress was halted as the legislature waited for the federal government's approval.
Following the recent developments, however, he is hopeful that the bill will now advance.
Lawmakers Stand Their Ground
The federal government has been actively revisiting several policies established by the previous Obama administration that provided a measure of protection for marijuana growers and sellers.
As such, many lawmakers anticipate an increase in prosecutions despite the legalization of marijuana in many states in the U.S. The move is a statement from lawmakers who refuse to abandon their policies concerning the regulation of marijuana.
The federal government and the State of California have expressed their differences on the subject. Much of the commentary surrounds the argument that state resources should not be used to disrupt what are now legal businesses.
They believe that the federal government's agenda to end a cannabis-centric drug war should not be a Californian affair.
Many Still Unaware of New Legislation
Hundreds of thousands stand to benefit from Bonta's Assembly Bill 1793, which will ensure that the courts initiate and handle the cost of expunging their past criminal records.
However, according to Drug Policy Alliance Deputy State Director Laura Thomas, very few are even aware of the opportunity to clear their marijuana convictions.
Assembly Bill 1793 will remove the cost of legal fees for individuals looking to expunge their criminal marijuana records. Combined with Proposition 64, which made it legal to possess up to an ounce of cannabis, six cannabis plants and eight grams of cannabis extract, marijuana growers and sellers will have an easier time running their businesses in accordance with the law.
Bonta's bill has been received with much praise and hailed by drug law reform groups such as California NORML, in addition to the Drug Policy Alliance.
For many who have been cut out of the employment and housing pool for decades due to marijuana convictions, there will be a chance to right their records for the opportunity to join the workforce once more.
In addition to that, thousands of convicted marijuana criminals have already benefited from Proposition 64, which has been instrumental in their release.
Expungement clinics set up by the DPA have allowed thousands more to petition courts while many more have had their probation and parole periods reduced or discontinued.
And while the majority stands to benefit from Bonta's bill, it could cost the government billions of dollars in legal fees to drop and/or reduce every marijuana charge that has been recorded over the past several decades.
But the Assemblyman stands by the bill, calling it practical and expecting the government to implement it without delay.
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