LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- A state lawmaker says people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions should have their records cleared automatically now that Michigan has legalized it.
Voters last year legalized marijuana for recreational use in Michigan.
State Senator Jeff Irwin is a Democrat from Ann Arbor. He says 235,000 people in Michigan have been convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana.
“And I thought it was important for the Legislature to take the next step and provide relief for the many thousands of Michigan residents who still have a record for something that’s now legal.”
Under Irwin’s bill, people with more serious marijuana convictions would have to petition a court rather than having their records automatically cleared.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she’s open to the idea. The state Senate’s Republican leaders have not yet taken a position.