Washington: Lawmakers Pass Legislation Facilitating Expungement Of Past Marijuana Convictions

House and Senate lawmakers this week approved legislation, Senate Bill 5605, facilitating the expungement of past low-level marijuana convictions. The legislation now awaits action by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, who has previously called for pardoning those with criminal records for marijuana violations.

The measure provides the courts with the discretion to vacate any misdemeanor marijuana conviction. Those seeking to have their records expunge will need to petition the sentencing court for the vacation of their records.

Governor Inslee has previously stated that he “believes that forgiving these convictions will allow people to move on with their lives without these convictions causing additional burdens on people, their families, their employers and their communities.”

Once signed, the new law goes into effect on July 27, 2019.

For additional information on pending marijuana legislation, visit NORML’s ‘Take Action Center’ here.