The bill, named AB 1793, would force California's DOJ to review the records of cannabis convictions eligible for “recall or dismissal of sentence, dismissal and sealing, or re-designation” under current marijuana laws.
A Drug Policy Alliance study found that nearly 500,000 Californians were arrested on marijuana charges between 2006 and 2015. California first legalized medical marijuana in 1996 and passed a proposition legalizing recreational use in 2016.
If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the bill, state officials have until July 1, 2019 to complete a list of eligible cases for recall. Prosecutors will have a year from then to decide which cases they will challenge. There are more than 218,000 convictions that could be potentially wiped out or downgraded under the new law.
Do you think it’s right to expunge old marijuana convictions where it is now legally recreationally?
I believe it is ok to decrease the sentence or whatever the person was convicted for. However, it was still illegal then and at the time of the offense, so no matter what changed if it was illegal then they should still have some sort of punishment but not a full conviction.
ReplyDeleteIt is acceptable to me to decrease the sentence substantially. They should still be disciplined in some way, however, because they still knowingly broke a law which means they could possibly do it again.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is right to decrease their sentences or get rid of their convictions if they have no other charges. It seems unfair for people to be serving sentences for a crime that is no longer legally considered a crime.
ReplyDeleteI think it is reasonable to reduce the sentence for marijuana convictions since it is now legal. It would clear up a lot of space in prisons that could be utilized for criminals who committed worse offenses. However, the sentence shouldn't be expunged entirely since they still broke the law at the time of the crime. There should still be punishment, but it shouldn't near as harsh as it has been in the past.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the new law, I think people who have previously committed a crime related to marijuana should have their cases dropped or decreased. If people aren’t being punished for those same crimes now, then why should people who have committed them in the past still be punished?
ReplyDeleteThis proposition seems perfectly sensible and fair to me; naturally, when laws are delegalized because they no longer best suit the needs and interests of the people, it would be preferable to be able to recompense those who suffered a penalty now deemed unjust and unnecessary. This would accomplish that in the best possible way by providing a legitimate legal pathway for people to be decriminalized.
ReplyDeleteDecreasing the punishment makes sense. Although the crime was still illegal and they should be punished as if it was. Being rewarded for committing a crime doesn’t make sense
ReplyDeleteI believe it’s good to decrease the punishment. If it’s legal, there’s no reason for people to still receive punishment.
ReplyDeleteNo I do not believe that it is right to erase past convictions of marijuana use. Regardless of the status of marijuana now, it was still illegal during the time that the convicts were charged. So, it doesn't make sense to get rid of the charges or reduce the punishment when the law was still in effect during that time.
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