November 21, 2022 4:20 pm. 

On Monday, Governor Kate Brown announced a pardon for prior Oregon offenses of simple possession of marijuana.

A release from Governor Brown’s Office said that act will impact an estimated 45,000 individuals across the state and forgive more than $14 million in associated fines and fees. The pardon will remove 47,144 convictions for possession of a small amount of marijuana from individual records. Brown said this will eliminate barriers for thousands of people seeking employment, housing and educational opportunities who have been otherwise been ineligible.

The pardon applies to electronically available Oregon convictions for possession of 1 ounce of marijuana or less, in pre-2016 cases in which the person was 21 years of age and older, where this was the only charge and where there were no victims. This pardon does not apply to any other offense related to marijuana or other controlled substances. More information can be found: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y3NEVl9zmq6yz-Rtc8lg8InbZWQ04bYl/view

Brown said “No one deserves to be forever saddled with the impacts of a conviction for simple possession of marijuana – a crime that is not longer on the books in Oregon”. Brown said, “We are a state, and a nation, of second chances. Today, I am taking steps to right the wrongs of a flawed, inequitable, and outdated criminal justice system in Oregon when it comes to personal marijuana possession”.

The release said following Governor Brown’s pardon, the Oregon Judicial Department will ensure that all court records associated with these pardoned offenses are sealed, as required by law.