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SEATTLE, Jan. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Governor Jay Inslee joined several Washington State regulatory agencies and other public officials at the annual Cannabis Alliance Summit Friday, January 4, 2019 to announce the news that the state of Washington will offer pardons for thousands with misdemeanor pot convictions.
This announcement plays an important role within our state judicial system and for the Cannabis Alliance since its membership has made vacating past cannabis convictions one of their top priorities.
Governor Inslee also credited Representative Joe Fitzgibbons (D) for leading this effort and his continued work on pardoning anyone who has an otherwise clean criminal record but with a sole conviction as an adult for misdemeanor possession of marijuana in Washington state. Under this initiative, Inslee will exercise his constitutional clemency authority to pardon individuals who have a single conviction on their criminal record.
“We shouldn’t be punishing people for something that is no longer illegal behavior in the state of Washington,” Inslee said at the event. He said he believes there is broad public support for the expedited pardon process.
The Summit event was the perfect locale for the Governor’s announcement as it has historically been recognized as an important event in positioning Washington State as a powerful thought leader in the industry. Other dignitaries at the Summit included Rep. Joe Fitzgibbons, Rep. Shelley Kloba, Rep. Melanie Morgan and Rep. Derek Stanford. Regulatory agencies and officials present at the event included Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board (WSLCB), Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), Washington State Department of Health (DOH), City of Seattle, Association of Washington Businesses, City of Bellingham, Washington State Parks & Recreation and office staff of the Governor as well as multiple organizations that represent a unifying force in the industry including NCIA, CORE, ORCA and CFC.
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