More than 3,500 people applied for pardons for past cannabis convictions as part of a one-month Pennsylvania initiative spearheaded by the governor and lieutenant governor, a top state pardons official told Marijuana Moment on Wednesday.
A final push from lawmakers and advocates drove about 1,000 applications in the final day of the program alone as last week’s deadline approached.
The application window for the expedited relief program, which was facilitated by the state Board of Pardons (BOP), closed on midnight on Friday. Officials like BOP Secretary Celeste Trusty stepped up their push to encourage people to apply, emphasizing the simplicity of the process.
As of Thursday of last week, about 2,500 people had submitted applications through the PA Marijuana Pardon Project. That jumped to “just over 3,500” by the end of the next day, Trusty wrote in an email to Marijuana Moment.
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), a reform advocate who chairs the pardons board, told Marijuana Moment in a statement on Wednesday that the body is “thankful for everyone who applied, and hopeful for better lives for those whose pardons are granted.”
“While this effort reached a small portion of people affected by marijuana prohibition, the only lasting relief
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