April McCullum

Free Press Staff Writer

Just before he leaves office, Gov. Peter Shumlin is planning to pardon people who were convicted of possessing up to one ounce of marijuana.

Vermont removed criminal penalties for small amounts of marijuana possession in 2013. Shumlin said in a statement that pardoning the convictions now is "the right thing to do," and he hopes to review as many applications as possible before he leaves office in the new year.

“Decriminalization was a good first step in updating our outmoded drug laws," Shumlin said. "It makes no sense that minor marijuana convictions should tarnish the lives of Vermonters indefinitely.”

The governor will consider pardons for people who have never been convicted of "violent criminal Vermont convictions or felonies," according to a news release.

The governor's office believes as many as 10,000 people are eligible for pardons, said James Pepper, a policy adviser and director of intergovernmental affairs for Shumlin.

The Vermont Crime Information Center, which collects state crime data, referred all questions to the governor's office regarding the number of Vermonters with a qualifying marijuana possession conviction.

People interested in a pardon for marijuana possession can apply through the governor's website before Dec. 25. The website cautions applicants that their applications may be considered public records and that a pardon "will not necessarily erase a conviction or the record of that conviction."

"If you are requesting a pardon because you believe the pardon will have certain legal consequences for you, you should talk to a lawyer," the governor's website states.

Following a tradition established by Vermont governors, Shumlin issued two pardons in 2013 and another three pardons in 2015. Gov. Thomas Salmon issued more than 200 pardons over four years in office, according to a Burlington Free Press report.

A 2015 Vermont law allows people in certain circumstances to expunge criminal records of acts they committed before age 25 that are no longer criminal, including possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Shumlin believes Vermont should legalize recreational marijuana. A legalization bill passed the state Senate this year but did not pass the House of Representatives.

This article was first published online Dec. 8, 2016.

Contact April McCullum at 802-660-1863 or amccullum@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @April_McCullum.

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