Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey made a landmark announcement Wednesday morning, issuing a sweeping pardon for those who have been convicted of simple possession of cannabis at the state level, something she says could impact hundreds of thousands of people.
"Today I am exercising my executive power as governor, under the Massachusetts constitution, subject to approval by the governor's council, to pardon all misdemeanor convictions for marijuana possession on record in our state," the Democratic governor announced at the State House. "With this action, Massachusetts will be the first state to take action since President Biden pardoned federal marijuana convictions and called on governors to follow suit. In fact we believe this is the most sweeping cannabis pardon ever proposed by any governor in the United States. That's because this pardon will apply to all misdemeanor possession convictions in the state courts. Those eligible number in the hundreds of thousands."
The governor said in the vast majority of cases, people will not have to take any action themselves, and anyone can request to receive a certificate attesting to their pardon.
"The reason we do this is simple, justice requires it," Healey said. "Massachusetts decriminalized possession for personal use back in 2008, legalized it in 2016. Yet thousands of people are still living with a conviction on their records. A conviction that may be a barrier to getting jobs, housing, even getting an education. For some it's simply more than that, a difficult memory, a burden, something they live with every day. all for doing something that isn't' even cause for arrest today."
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"That doesn't sit right with me," she continued. "It's not fair. It's unfinished business. Knowing we have the power to lift that burden, we should do something about it. As Dr. King said, the time is always right to do what is right, so let's do the right thing now."
Healey said this pardon will reduce disparities in the criminal justice system.
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"Surveys show that white, Black and Latino Americans use cannabis at the same rate, yet Black and Latino Americans have been more frequently arrested, charged and convicted of possession. That's unjust. That's wrong. And we need to address that," she said. "We can be certain that this pardon will redress some of the harm those disparities have caused in Massachusetts and we'll continue to do all we can to eliminate racial injustice throughout our systems."
This action today is in context of other actions taken by Healey's administration, including clemency, the governor added.
"To me justice is about our collective, as well as individual, accountability, that's what today represents when the governor takes action like this on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," she said. "It's a collective commitment to greater justice and greater fairness in our systems. it requires looking back and righting wrongs. We do this to build more trust as we move forward."
Healey said she looks forward to working with the governor's council as they advise, consent and consider this action.
According to a report by the Cannabis Control Commission, the panel charged with administering the legal cannabis market in Massachusetts, there were close to 69,000 civil or criminal violations for marijuana possession issued in Massachusetts from 2000 through 2013.
Wednesday's announcement comes roughly eight years after the drug was approved for recreational use in the Bay State. In the years since, a bustling legal pot industry has sprouted up in Massachusetts, even as the drug remains illegal at the federal level.
In December, President Joe Biden pardoned thousands of people who had been convicted of the use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia.
The White House said at the time that Biden's latest round of executive clemencies was meant to rectify racial disparities in the justice system. Biden had said his actions would help make the “promise of equal justice a reality.”
Wednesday, the governor concluded her announcement by recognizing President Biden's leadership.
"We are proud to answer his call," she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
