These clinics seal records of past pot crimes for good. Oregon has decided to do this in part because simple offenses for pot can ruin a person’s life and prevent them from being hired by a prospective employer.
People with low-level felony, non-traffic and misdemeanor pot violations can use a state law that is already on the books. The law allows people to wipe their records clean if 10 years or longer have gone by without another convicted. However, starting in 2016, people with more serious pot violations will be able to do the same.
Courts must use standards of full marijuana legalization when it considers clearing records, according to a new law in Oregon. Also, citizens who were under 21 are eligible for fast-track record sealing.
Law professor Jenny M. Roberts told the New York Times that Oregon is one of the first states to wrestle with the issue of what should be done when you have a record that has something on it that used to be a crime, but is no longer a crime.
Other states such as Colorado and California are facing the same issue of offenders having records for acts that may have been illegal in the past, but are no longer considered crimes.
