On March 13th, first-term Democratic Governor Maura Healey announced her historic plan.
“Today I am exercising my executive power as governor under the Massachusetts Constitution, subject to approval by the Governor's Council, to pardon all misdemeanor convictions for marijuana possession on record in our state,” said Healey.
The former state attorney general follows President Joe Biden’s similar moves on the federal level to forgive marijuana possession charges. Her plan the first of its kind on the state level.
“We believe that this is the most sweeping cannabis partisan ever proposed by any governor in the United States,” the governor continued.
District 8 Councilor Tara Jacobs, who represents much of Western Massachusetts on the Governor’s Council, spoke with WAMC last month.
“To me, this is one step, a first step – and I hope there'll be more that go even further – but it's a step in the right direction in course-correcting some of the systemic injustice in our in our system that have negatively impacted marginalized communities, and taking this step is, first off, a signal of this administration's intention to use clemency to course-correct and offer second chances, and I'm nothing but supportive of that,” said the councilor.
She said marijuana convictions – even in an era of legalized recreational use – can still remain a burden on residents.
