PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Starting today, anyone convicted of certain marijuana-related crimes can now starting petitioning to get it scrubbed from their record. This comes after voters said yes to legalizing marijuana last November.
“This is sort of a new thing… as of midnight last night,” said Sheena Williams, Nature’s Medicines. When Arizona voters approved proposition 207 legalizing marijuana they also made way for people accused or convicted of marijuana crimes to scrub their records clean.
“Today felt surreal when I woke up, I have a little statement I always said, free the leaf,” said Williams. Williams is with Nature’s Medicines located near 1-17 and McDowell Road. The dispensary is offering clinics over the weekends to help guide people through the process of filing their petitions. “Even two of our staff members here were two of the people who made appointments because they too needed help knowing about expungable charges,” said Williams.
“Whatever you feel comfortable with, whether it's filling it out yourself, coming to our website or one of these organizations, the law is designed to help you,” said Jason Kalish, Division Chief of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. You can request the forms here.
As of this morning, the Maricopa County Attorney’s office has already received more than 200 requests from people wanting to get their records cleared, about 80 percent of them met the criteria to do so. “There’s a collateral consequence for that conviction, [it] shows up on a job application a background check what have you. We are going to try to help those people first and foremost,” said Kalish.
As long as it’s a low-level conviction and the weight of the marijuana in your possession wasn't more than 12.5 grams, you shouldn't have any problems. “I think that as we realized now it’s a plant, we can use it for its medical value,” said Williams.
Attorneys will be on-site to assist with filing the petition and to see if you meet the criteria to have your record cleared.
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