Gov. Ned Lamont has announced the state will launch a new policy on Jan. 1 that erases the criminal records of Connecticut residents convicted cannabis possession.
Records in approximately 44,000 cases will be fully or partially erased, according to the governor”™s office. Lamont”™s office added the new automated erasure system is expected to be fully implemented during the second half of 2023. People eligible for the erasure include those who have not had any other criminal convictions for seven or 10 years (depending on the conviction to be erased), have completed sentences for all crimes for which that person has been convicted, and meet other eligibility criteria under the laws. Eligible offenses include most misdemeanors, most Class D and Class E felonies, and most unclassified felonies with a possible prison sentence of five years or less.
The policy is based on legislature that was signed into law in 2021, and the governor”™s office added that residents receiving the erasure of their records can tell employers, landlords and schools that the conviction never occurred.
“As Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations,” said Lamont.
