The Governor of Pennsylvania Has Issued a 'large-scale' Pardon for Non-violent Cannabis Convictions.

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by Hunter Dublin | September 8, 2022

Last Thursday, September 1, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman announced a one-time, large-scale pardoning project for people with minor, non-violent cannabis criminal convictions. The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons is taking applications for the PA Marijuana Pardon Project until the end of the month, according to the Democrats.

Possession of cannabis and possession of a small amount for personal use are eligible offenses under the program.

Wolf said in a statement that he has "repeatedly" urged the state's Republican-led General Assembly to legalize cannabis for adult use, but they have yet to act.

Fetterman, who is running for Senate against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, a daytime television star, stated that "nobody should be denied a job, housing, or volunteering at their child's school because of some old non-violent cannabis offense."

"...Especially because most of us don't believe this should be unlawful," he remarked.

Thousands of Pennsylvanians are believed to be eligible owing to convictions stretching back decades, even before cannabis was designated as a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act.

Wolf has given 2,098 pardons since entering office, according to the governor's office, 326 of which were part of an accelerated review for minor cannabis-related charges. In the 15 years before Wolf's presidency, just 1,805 pardons were given in total.