Criminal Record Checks for Medical Marijuana (S 2371)

We opposed legislation which would have inappropriately imposed a broad criminal record check requirement on individuals who seek to be engaged in the business-side of the medical marijuana industry, as well as on patients who may need this medicine to manage a health condition.

Especially given the rapid legalization of recreational marijuana across the country, it has become central to social justice initiatives surrounding marijuana that criminal record checks be used as minimally and sparingly as possible. We opposed legislation which would have inappropriately imposed a broad criminal record check requirement on individuals who seek to be engaged in the business-side of the medical marijuana industry, as well as on patients who may need this medicine to manage a health condition, by disqualifying them from access to this industry or medical marijuana on the basis of any felony conviction in their past, no matter how outdated or irrelevant. Positively, this legislation died in committee.