Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf pardons over 2,500, nearly 400 for nonviolent cannabis offenses

Many Pennsylvania residents with non-violent cannabis offenses are being given a second chance, and the recent pardons are a promising and much-needed sign of relief.

In a Jan. 12 announcement, Gov. Tom Wolf granted 369 more pardons, bringing his total to 2,540. Nearly 400 of those pardons were granted under an expedited review process for nonviolent cannabis-related crimes.

“I have taken this process very seriously – I have reviewed and carefully considered each and every one of those 2,540 pardons and the lives they will affect. Every single Pennsylvanian who has made it through the process truly deserves a second chance, and it was my honor to give it,” Gov. Wolf said.

“A record prevents positive forward movement in a person’s life and can trigger a repeating cycle of defeats. I firmly believe that pardoned Pennsylvanians with their rights restored are showing themselves by stepping up and giving back to our communities.”

Those 2,540 pardons are the most granted by a governor in Pennsylvania history. Before Governor Wolf, Governor Ed Rendell held the record with 1,122 pardons granted.

Of Gov. Wolf’s pardons, 395 were part of the expedited review process for cannabis-related nonviolent crimes and 232 were part of the PA Marijuana Pardons Project.

In 2019, the Pardons Board instituted the Expedited Review Program for Nonviolent Marijuana-Related Offenses and Lt. gov. John Fetterman approved it, a program to expedite the pardon process for individuals with non-violent cannabis possession or paraphernalia convictions.

PA Marijuana Pardon Project is a one-off, large-scale pardon project for people with select minor, non-violent criminal convictions related to cannabis. The project is managed by Gov. Wolf and former Lieutenant Gov. Fetterman and was announced on September 1, 2022 to expedite the process.

“Nobody should be denied on an old nonviolent grassess charge for a nonviolent weeds charge over a job, a home or volunteering at their child’s school, especially given the fact that most of us don’t even think that this should be illegal,” Fetterman said at the time. Fetterman is now serving as a US Senator from Pennsylvania, having taken office on January 3.

Legally, a pardon represents the state’s full forgiveness of a criminal conviction, whether or not the sentence included imprisonment, and allows for the erasure of the associated criminal record. The request for clemency is free for people seeking clemency and the change was made during the Wolf administration. Under the administration, the pardon process has been modernized to streamline the application process and application fees are now waived. The application can be downloaded online and the process does not require a lawyer.

A 2020 report released by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia that analyzed 10 years of pardons data found that pardons contributed $16.5 million to Pennsylvania’s economy over the past decade “without costing anyone anything.”

The governor has consistently shown his support for cannabis in recent years, having only recently joined the ranks. On Twitter in 2021, Gov. Tom Wolf reiterated his call to end Pennsylvania’s pot ban. It’s a change in mood for Wolf, who said in 2017 that Pennsylvania wasn’t ready to legalize recreational marijuana use. Two of Pennsylvania’s neighbors, New Jersey and New York, helped push the state to create its own cannabis market.

Governor Wolf has served two terms in his leadership role. The governor’s priorities for Pennsylvania are helping propel Pennsylvania’s economic comeback, and the recent round of pardons is helping to further improve its image.