BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday said she would issue pardons for tens of thousands of people convicted of misdemeanor marijuana charges going back decades in the latest example of a state ambitiously seeking to forgive low-level drug offenders.
If approved, the pardons will apply to all adult Massachusetts state court misdemeanor convictions before March 13, 2024, for possession of marijuana or “Class D substance.” Most people will not need to take any action to have their criminal records updated, according to the Democrat and former state attorney general.
The pardons only tale effect if the Governor’s Council approves Healey’s decision. Pardons would become effective immediately after the council votes, although it would take time to update criminal records.
Healey described the pardons as the most sweeping by a governor since President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession convictions and called on governors to follow suit. Healey said the pardons would apply to those arrested as far back as the 1970’s war on drugs and earlier.
A pardon essentially acts as forgiveness initiated by the governor for a conviction. It does not automatically seal or expunge criminal records.
Healey said the pardons are a simple matter of justice.
“Massachusetts decriminalized possession for personal use back in 2008, legalized it in 2016, yet thousands of people are still