Oregon Governor Pardons 45,000 Persons with Marijuana Convictions

In November, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced that she issued pardons for Oregonians who have been convicted of simple possession of marijuana. The pardon is for people convicted of possessing one ounce or less of marijuana before 2016 when they were 21 or older. Brown’s pardon applies in cases where possession was the only charge, and there were no victims.

The pardon removes over 47,000 convictions for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana and will impact approximately 45,000 people, her office said. The move will also forgive more than $14 million in fines and fees associated with the offenses.

In a statement, Brown said, “No one deserves to be forever saddled with the impacts of a conviction for simple possession of marijuana; a crime that is no longer on the books in Oregon.”

Brown also said, “Oregonians should never face housing insecurity, employment barriers, and educational obstacles as a result of doing something that is now completely legal, and has been for years. My pardon will remove these hardships. And while Oregonians use marijuana at similar rates, Black and Latina/o/x people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.”

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D) praised the Governor's action. “Pardoning simple possession in Oregon is absolutely necessary to repair the damage done by the failed War on Drugs. It is the proper use of governor’s clemency powers and I hope that every governor and state legislature will follow suit. The American people have consistently shown overwhelming support for expungement and reform of our marijuana laws. It is time for Congress to step up and begin to right these wrongs at the federal level."

Marijuana is now fully legal in 19 U.S. states and allowed for medical use in 37. Most states that have legalized marijuana have also moved to expunge the records of nonviolent offenders or issue pardons. The move to pardon simple marijuana convictions is an important step to reducing the prison population in the overall goal to end mass incarceration.

To see what governors from individual states say about pardoning simple marijuana convictions, read "Will Governors Issue Marijuana Pardons Following Biden’s Call To Action?" at Marijuana Moment, an information source that helps activists, industry professionals, consumers, policymakers and the public understand developments and trends affecting cannabis.