If you have been convicted of minor marijuana offenses in Pennsylvania, you have until the end of September to apply to get pardoned for those crimes as part of a one-time, large-scale state program.
An Erie County group is ready to help you with the expedited process.
The relief is available through the Marijuana Pardon Project. Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman announced its launch on Sept. 1.
The program allows anyone who has been convicted in Pennsylvania of possession of marijuana or having a small amount of marijuana for personal use to apply for a pardon to aid in getting the convictions expunged from their records.
The program sets no limits for the age of convictions. But it sets a Sept. 30 deadline for the completion of applications. Applying is free and done entirely online. Instructions are available at www.pa.gov/guides/mj-pardon.
The governor is scheduled to start reviewing recommended pardon applications in December.
‘Pardon coaches’ ready to help in Erie County
Local assistance to guide applicants through the process is available through the Erie County Pardon Project, whose creation was announced in August 2021. The group helps ex-offenders who meet certain criteria apply for pardons. The process typically takes 18 months to two years.
The Erie County Pardon Project was formed with the help of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County Public Defender’s Office, the Erie County Bar Association and Mercyhurst and Gannon universities.
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Assistance for the Marijuana Pardon Project is available through the Erie County Pardon Project hubs at Mercyhurst, 814-824-3277, and Gannon, 814-871-7490. Inquiries can be sent to MuPardonProject@mercyhurst.edu.
The “streamlined process” of the Marijuana Pardon Project offers a unique opportunity for “people to to get marijuana charges off their record,” said Maria Garase, an associate professor in the department of criminology and criminal justice at Mercyhurst. She is one of several people trained as “pardon coaches” for the Erie County Pardon Project.
Garase said those seeking marijuana-related pardons might need help applying online or locating the docket numbers and offense tracking numbers for their cases. The pardon coaches can assist in those and other areas, she said.
Volunteer lawyers with the Erie County Bar Association also serve as pardon coaches. Lawyer Tim George, who is involved with the Bar Association’s effort, said the Erie County Pardon Project is encouraging anyone who qualifies to apply through the Marijuana Pardon Project.
Even minor, non-violent marijuana offenses “serve as impediments to better employment, better housing and getting clearances that enable parents to volunteer at their kid’s school,” George said.
Who’s eligible for the Marijuana Pardon Project?
To qualify under the Marijuana Pardon Project, applicants’ convictions must have occurred in Pennsylvania. Those with additional convictions on their records are ineligible.
The state said those not eligible to apply for a pardon through the Marijuana Pardon Project because they have additional criminal convictions can apply for clemency using a standard application available at bop.pa.gov.Â
The Marijuana Pardon Project accepts applicants only if they have one or both of these convictions: possession of marijuana (Title 35 Section 780-113 Subsection A31) and marijuana, small amount for personal use (Title 35 Section 780-113 Subsection A31i).
The applications made through the Marijuana Pardon Project go to the five-member Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, which Fetterman chairs. The board will review the applications starting in October and send applications recommended for pardons to Wolf’s office in mid-December, according to the state.
Wolf will then decide whether to issue pardons. The state said the governor is not mandated to act within a specific time, though Wolf, a Democrat who has served as governor for eight years, is leaving office on Jan. 17 due to term limits.
Those whose pardons are granted will still need to petition the court to expunge their conviction from their record, the state said.
Wolf: Marijuana Pardon Project has potential to aid thousands
The limited time left for Wolf in office influenced the window for the application deadline. A Sept. 30 deadline allows the Board of Pardons to review the applications at its October meeting, according to the state.
In announcing the Marijuana Pardon Project on Sept. 1, Wolf said in a statement that he has “repeatedly called on our Republican-led General Assembly to support the legalization of adult-use marijuana, but they’ve yet to meet this call for action from myself and Pennsylvanians.
“Until they do, I am committed to doing everything in my power to support Pennsylvanians who have been adversely affected by a minor marijuana offense on their record,” Wolf said.Â
“This pardon project has the potential to open the door for thousands of Pennsylvanians â the college grad looking to start their career, the grandparent who’s been wanting (to) chaperone a field trip or any Pennsylvanian who’s been told ‘no’ for much-needed assistance. Now’s your chance.”
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According to Wolf’s office, “it is estimated that thousands of Pennsylvanians are eligible” for pardons through the Marijuana Pardon Project “due to convictions over the past several decades, even pre-dating marijuana’s inclusion as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella.
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