Nevada governor pardons thousands of past cannabis convictions

On June 11, Gov. Steve Sisolak proposed a resolution to “unconditionally” pardon all convictions for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana prior to 2017, when the Silver State legalized the plant for recreational sale, possession, and use. The Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners officially approved Sisolak’s proposal on June 17.

“The people of Nevada have decided that possession of small amounts of marijuana is not a crime,” Sisolak said. “This resolution will clear the slate for thousands of people who bear the stigma of a conviction for actions that have now been decriminalized.”

Pardoning violations of the outdated laws represents a long-awaited step toward clearing former low-level marijuana offenders in Nevada.

The state once had the nation’s most draconian sentences for simple possession, which was a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison as recently as 1999. Advocates in the Silver State had been pushing to pass a measure like this for more than three years.