The Indiana government will not issue a pardon for cannabis crimes, but will advocate deletion

Pardons are still a hot topic after President Joe Biden announced Oct. 6 that he would pardon citizens convicted of federal cannabis charges and urged state governors to do the same to help people in their regions to help. However, Indiana Governor Holcomb recently stated that he would not pardon simple cannabis convictions.

“The president should work with Congress, not around him, to discuss federal law changes, especially when he’s asking governors to override the work of local prosecutors simply by enforcing the law,” Holcomb said, according to ABC57. “Until these federal law changes come about, I cannot in good conscience contemplate granting blanket pardons to all of these offenders.”

Holcomb added that his state already offers erasure programs. “What Indiana has done is act proactively, not reactively, by creating an opportunity for those who have maintained a clean record since a conviction for simple marijuana possession and a series of lower-level felonies to request a deletion — and.” to get what seals their record,” said Holcomb.

However, he confirmed that many people who currently have cannabis convictions on their records deserve the ability to have them removed. “I agree that many of these offenses should not serve as a life sentence after a person has served their time,” added Holcomb. “Annulled convictions cannot be disclosed to employers, licensors or when looking for housing.”

At a luncheon on October 12, Holcomb expressed his preference for deletion over pardon. “If you’re arrested for simple possession of marijuana and you stay clean for a few years, five years, then you can seek expungement. That will never be revealed and that will never get in the way. If you commit the crime and pay the time, you can move on,” Holcomb said, adding that he didn’t think cannabis should be in the same list category as substances like heroin or morphine. “But that’s the job of Congress.”

In December 2021, Holcomb began preparations for the legislative session, which began in January 2022. Although the Indiana Democratic Party stated at the time that legalizing cannabis for adults was a top priority, Holcomb instead stated his support for access to medical care. “The law that needs to be changed is federal law,” Holcomb said in December 2021.

The WSBT news agency polled Indiana lawmakers about Biden’s recent pardons, and many supported them but leaned toward federal debt restructuring. “I think this shows that legalization is inevitable in our future and whether Indiana wants to set that up at the state level or wait for the federal government to do that,” said Rep. Maureen Bauer. “Well, for us it still is [a] Schedule a medication. And I don’t see the state of Indiana changing the legalization of the drug until it’s moved to the federal level,” added Sen. Mike Bohacek.

Possession of cannabis has been a misdemeanor in Indiana since 2014. Currently, the state of Indiana has not legalized the use of adult or medicinal cannabis. According to The Indiana Lawyer, between 2018 and 2021, over 94,000 people were charged with a cannabis possession misdemeanor.

A pardon is not enough to get people out of prison, also because the penalties are more complicated for many people. According to Marion County Sheriff’s Office Captain Mitch Gore, as of Oct. 13, the Indianapolis Adult Detention Center had just one inmate convicted of cannabis possession, while 320 others were convicted of both possession and other charges unrelated had to do with cannabis.

Allen County Sheriff’s Office Captain Steve Stone also confirmed that not very many people could be released immediately. “That would be a very, very low number. We wouldn’t even arrest you for being out before we finished the paperwork,” Stone said.