City Government

Community Forum to Expunge Marijuana Convictions, April 12

Published

10 years ago

March 22, 2017

In order to help create opportunities for those directly impacted by the War on Drugs, Oakland Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan is hosting a community forum to inform local residents how to expunge marijuana convictions under Prop. 64.

This forum is co-sponsored by Council President Larry Reid and Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley. Speakers will include attorneys and other experts in this area.

The Prop 64 Community Forum will take place Wednesday, April 12 from 5:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m. at the East Oakland Senior Center at 9255 Edes Ave, Oakland.

In November 2016, voters in California passed Proposition 64 (cannabis legalization), which includes an option for people who had past criminal records for marijuana offenses to have a method to clear their records.

Council member Rebecca Kaplan´s staffer Kevin Davenport is promoting the forum on how to expunge marijuana convictions.

As many reports have documented, including from the ACLU, enforcement of marijuana laws have disproportionately targeted African Americans.

This racially disparate unequal enforcement has left many people, primarily African Americans, with records that can follow them for the rest of their lives, causing denial of access to jobs, housing and student loans.

Marijuana expungement can be a significant step in removing barriers to those who have fallen victim to the War on Drugs, particularly important during a time of Oakland’s gentrification and severe displacement.

Though the state has acknowledged that it no longer considers adult marijuana use to be a crime, it is still necessary to make sure that people do not continue to be punished for that activity. .

Expungement can help individuals receive employment, further education, and access profit and ownership within the Cannabis industry as well as other businesses.

This forum aims to provide answers and understanding for the step-by-step procedure to successfully expunge marijuana offenses.

A panel with lawyers and others versed in the expungement process will participate in the event.