On Wednesday, June 17, 2020, the Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners is set to discuss Governor Sisolak’s resolution to pardon people who were previously convicted of possession of one ounce or less of marijuana, not for purpose of sale.
If granted, Governor Sisolak states that this resolution would affect tens of thousands of people who “bear the stigma of a conviction for actions that have now been decriminalized.” In 2016, Nevadans voted to legalize the use of recreational marijuana through a ballot initiative that legalized the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.
Last year, the governor signed Assembly Bill 192, which provided people with cannabis convictions a means to petition the court for expungements, but this resolution would offer proactive blanket pardons for anyone convicted of possession up to an ounce of marijuana.
While a pardon will not overturn a conviction charge, it will restore rights previously taken away from convictions, such as the right to vote, right to hold public office, and the right to serve on a jury.
The Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners is comprised of the Governor, the Justices of the Supreme Court, and the Attorney General. However, the Governor has more authority than the other members. The Board has been granted statutory authority to pardon or otherwise grant clemency to individuals for prior criminal convictions.
