The Kentucky governor explores state weed pardons

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday that he has directed his government to consider issuing pardons for all convictions for simple marijuana possession. Beshear’s announcement follows President Joseph Biden’s move last week to pardon all federal convictions for low weed possession and a call for governors to take similar action at the state level.

Beshear noted that despite polls showing that 90% of Kentuckians support legalizing medical cannabis, the state legislature failed to pass legislation legalizing medical marijuana earlier this year. He added that lawmakers’ refusal to approve the measure meant that “people suffering from Alzheimer’s, ALS, cancer, severe and chronic pain, epilepsy and seizures, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions do not have access to medicinal cannabis for relief”.

The governor said he was not given advance notice that Biden would announce federal pardons for marijuana possession and urged states to follow suit. Beshear added that while there are differences between state and federal law, he asked the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) for more information on how many Kentucky residents are eligible for a state pardon for a minor cannabis possession conviction could.

“Let me be clear, I agree that no one should be in prison just for possession of marijuana,” Beshear said in a statement from the governor’s office Thursday. “I know that the vast majority of Kentucky residents are calling for the legalization of medicinal cannabis, and I am committed to keeping Kentucky residents informed as we review the information and make plans for further development.”

Biden announces federal pardons for cannabis

Beshear’s announcement that he would consider pardons for marijuana possession follows Biden’s announcement last week that he would take similar action on all federal felony convictions for simple marijuana possession. About 6,500 federal convictions would be pardoned under the plan, while thousands more convictions in the District of Columbia would also be eligible for communion.

“As I’ve said many times during my presidential campaign, no one should be in prison just for using or possessing marijuana. Sending people to jail for possession of marijuana has turned too many lives upside down and has incarcerated people for behaviors that many states no longer prohibit,” the president said in a statement Oct. 6 at , and Educational Opportunities. And while whites and blacks and browns use marijuana at similar rates, blacks and browns have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.”

At a news conference, Beshear said he agreed with the President’s views. He also pointed out that state and federal laws differ, adding that possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor rather than a felony in the Bluegrass State.

“No one should ever go to jail for simple possession of marijuana, and right now in Kentucky, they don’t,” Beshear said.

However, the governor noted that even misdemeanor convictions carry the side effects Biden mentioned.

“Having a misdemeanor on your record is no small thing,” Beshear said at his weekly news conference. “We want to know how many people that would apply to. So we asked AOC to get us that information.”

The Kentucky program is offering an erasure

Beshear added that Kentucky currently has a program for issuing waivers for simple marijuana possession convictions.

“You can have this completely removed from your record — meaning if you go through the process, it wouldn’t even show up in a search,” Beshear said. “A pardon is something else. A pardon would appear on this quest if not cleared. Then you would provide proof of your pardon.”

But the governor said he’s still considering pardons because they might help some people, saying: “I’m actively considering what he’s asking for, even though it doesn’t have the same felony pardon outcome as under the federal system.” “

“I’m just trying to provide context that things are a little different here in Kentucky, but still some people have trouble getting a job because of a simple misdemeanor possession conviction,” he added.

Beshear said his administration will review the president’s request and determine how best to implement it in Kentucky.

“We are taking this information into account and hope to announce new steps here in the near future,” the governor said.

Panel finds strong support for legalizing medical marijuana

Biden’s announcement of the federal pardons came just two days after Beshear reported that a panel he formed to advise him on cannabis reform in Kentucky had received overwhelming support for legalizing medical marijuana. The governor said the team’s Kentucky Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee found that many Kentuckyers suffering from chronic medical conditions are unhelpful with traditional painkillers and fear the possibility of opioid addiction. Kentucky is one of 10 states that allow patients to use low-THC cannabis oil, but stronger marijuana products are still outlawed.

“According to polls, 90% of Kentucky adults support the legalization of medicinal cannabis. Our team traveled across the state to speak directly to Kentucky residents, and they found that our people actually support it overwhelmingly,” Beshear said in a Sept. 30 statement from the governor’s office. “I appreciate the work of those who participated, and I will consider this information as I analyze what steps I can take to legalize medicinal cannabis for people suffering from chronic, debilitating medical conditions.”