Arizona court clears over 3,600 cannabis charges in one clean sweep

The process of coming to terms with the injustice of the war on drugs is well underway in Arizona. The Maricopa County Arizona Supreme Court has granted 3,643 motions to remove charges related to cannabis since the trial began last month, according to a press release dated Aug. 30.

The court announced that following the passing of Proposition 207 in 2020, an average of 650 people per week file requests for deletion of cannabis crime convictions in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County.

“The Law Library Resource Center has worked hard to ensure that forms and instructions are easy to fill out for customers wishing to clear their marijuana crime convictions or arrest records. You can download the forms and instructions for free from our website and follow the instructions for the rest of the process, ”said Paula Collins, administrator of the Law Library Resource Center.

The Superior Court at Maricopa County’s Law Library Resource Center, which is helping with the cancellation process alongside many organizations across Arizona, has posted all of the required forms that petitioners can find online, as well as instructions on how to complete the process.

When a court approves a request for deletion of a cannabis-related criminal complaint, three things can happen: the file and police files are sealed, the conviction and judgment are overturned, along with any outstanding court debts related to the overturned charge , and the defendant’s civil rights will be restored in relation to cannabis-related charges.

To see which offenses are legitimate, visit the website.

Before submitting a request for deletion, you should check with your competent court. In the event that the conviction was pronounced in a court or city court, that court should be contacted for further information. If the case has been decided before the Youth Welfare Office of the Superior Court, there is a separate youth application for deletion. Anyone arrested but not charged must file a civil petition to have the file cleared.

“Customers can also make an appointment on our website to visit one of the Law Library Resource Center locations and purchase the package if they cannot download and print the forms,” ​​added Collins.

There is no fee for the motion to set aside the conviction.

Court rulings in Arizona under Proposition 207

Proposal 207, which passed 60 percent of the vote to legalize cannabis, also included a 16 percent sales tax that will help fund community colleges, public safety, public health programs, and roads and highways.

The cannabis condemnation program was launched on July 13th. Under the program, Arizona residents convicted of possessing, transporting, or consuming 2.5 ounces or less of cannabis – no more than 12.5 grams of a cannabis concentrate or extract – have cleared their records.

Eligible are also people who have been convicted of owning, cultivating, processing or transporting up to six cannabis plants at their main residence. Convictions for possession, use or transport of utensils in connection with the consumption, cultivation and processing of cannabis are also possible.

There is also support from several organizations, including the cannabis advocacy group Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM), which offers fire extinguishing clinics as part of its Project Clean Slate initiative.

A similar initiative, Proposition 205, was not approved in 2016. It would have legalized adult cannabis use, with tax revenue going to the Arizona school system.

In Maricopa County, prosecutors early took the lead in getting cannabis legalized as mandated by the population through Proposition 207. After the bill was approved in November 2020, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office began filing motions to dismiss charges in pending cases raised by the initiative,

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