Erasing The Stain: 15,000 Pardoned Of Marijuana Possession Convictions
Mayor Randall Woodfin on Tuesday announced the pardons of more than 15,000 Birmingham residents convicted of marijuana possession, declaring that “one small mistake should not define an entire lifetime.”
The pardons — which were announced April 20, an unofficial holiday celebrating cannabis — cover residents with closed marijuana possession cases in the Birmingham Municipal Court between 1990 and 2020.
The pardons are part of Woodfin’s Pardons for Progress program, launched in November 2019, which was meant to remove employment barriers for people who had been convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession. Those convictions can appear on background checks and, as Woodfin noted in a press release, disproportionately affect people from Black and brown communities.
Initially, Pardons for Progress required a multi-step application, though some criticized the process as too complex; as of April 13, only nine people had received pardons through the program. Tuesday’s pardon significantly broadens the program’s reach.
One-time marijuana possession charges not covered by Tuesday’s pardon — such as still-open court cases — still will be eligible for the program going forward.
Woodfin’s announcement was accompanied by a petition calling on the Alabama Legislature to pass a measure decriminalizing both medical and recreational marijuana use statewide.
“Since the state government does not permit ‘home-rule’ in Birmingham, I need you to join me in telling the State of Alabama to completely decriminalize marijuana and consider legalizing medical and recreational use like so many other states have,” Woodfin wrote in a statement. “Until then, we will do what we can as a city to pardon marijuana possession convictions processed throughout our municipal court system.”
The petition can be found on Woodfin’s campaign website.
What are your hopes for 2025?
With 2024 coming to a close, we have a whole new year to look forward to. What are your hopes for 2025? We put that question to attendees of our recent News and Brews community pop-up.
In 2024, film and TV grappled with death. The result was comforting
From Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special to A Man on the Inside, movies and TV found new ways to address death and dying.
Bird flu Q&A: What to know to help protect yourself and your pets
Each week some revelation about bird flu seems to flutter through the news cycle. Here's what the latest research is saying about how it is spreading and how to keep yourself and your pets safe.
10 essential books about Jimmy Carter
Throughout his lifetime, Jimmy Carter took on many titles: 39th President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize winner, philanthropist, humanitarian, artist – and writer.
For seniors with hoarding disorder, a support group helps with stigma and isolation
Concern is growing about the prevalence of hoarding disorder among seniors, and the lack of access to effective treatments. Some have found coping strategies — and community — in a support group.
Jimmy Carter had an early ally in the Senate: a young Democrat named Joe Biden
When they met in the mid-1970s, Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden were both political underdogs. They forged a strong friendship that lasted more than 50 years.
