Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed multiple “clean slate” bills into law Oct. 12 that will automatically expunge criminal records for those convicted of certain cannabis-related offenses, according to a FOX 2 Detroit report.
The new law will automatically clear the records of those convicted of cannabis-related offenses that would not have been considered a crime after Dec. 6, 2018, when Michigan legalized adult-use cannabis, the news outlet reported.
The law does not apply to felony convictions that carried a sentence of 10 years or more, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said during the signing that cannabis prohibition has disproportionately impacted people of color, and that the new law will create opportunity for many who have been burdened with past cannabis-related convictions, FOX 2 Detroit reported.
The automatic expungement process will begin in roughly two and a half years, according to the news outlet, and convictions will be cleared seven years after a misdemeanor sentence and 10 years after a felony sentence or the completion of a prison term, whichever is most recent.
