Cannabis possession arrests in Washington state were steadily rising year after year until the state legalized cannabis in 2012. African Americans were 2.9 times more likely than whites to be arrested for pot possession in the decade before legalization. Vpr.net/post/vermont-lawmakers-consider-fast-lane-erasing-marijuana-misdemeanors-record#stream/0″>help clear cannabis misdemeanors. The current state law already allows cannabis offenders to have their cases expunged, but offenders must wait a minimum of five years to become eligible.
The proposed bill would also assist individuals arrested for violating the state’s new cannabis laws. Even though the state just legalized cannabis last month, individuals can still get arrested for possessing over an ounce of weed. This new bill would allow those arrested for possessing one to two ounces of cannabis to have their records expunged immediately after they have served their time.