Illinois governor pardons more than 11,000 marijuana convictions to ring in 2020
By Charles Creitz | Fox News
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker granted tens of thousands of pardons for people convicted of low-level marijuana-related offenses on Tuesday.
The Land of Lincoln is set to welcome a new marijuana legalization law on January 1, becoming the 11th state to legalize pot for those 21 years of age and older.
Pritzker, a Democrat whose family owns the Hyatt hotel chain, described the more than 11,000 expungements as the first step in anticipation of the new law taking effect on Wednesday.
He announced the pardons at a church on Chicago's South Side, claiming the action will help offenders find work, housing and college aid.
State officials estimate that 116,000 convictions involving 30 grams or less of marijuana, including for possession of the drug, are eligible for pardons under the new law. Illinois State Police are responsible for identifying those convictions and sending the records to the state’s Prisoner Review Board, which then forwarded eligible cases to the governor’s office for pardons.
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