Baker denies Biden on pardoning marijuana crimes, touting existing expungement system

Rather than pardons, expunging criminal records is the simplest method to handle marijuana possession convictions, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday.

Bakers comments to the press came during a groundbreaking event in Lawrence, according to 7News. They also come almost one week after President Joe Biden requested all state governors to pardon those convicted of state marijuana offenses, as Biden himself would pardon those convicted at the federal level despite no one currently in federal prison for simple possession.

Anyone in Massachusetts who wants to expunge their record appropriately can do so now under existing state law, Baker said, as reported by State House News Service. The pardon process is a complicated one. It doesnt happen overnight. I think at this point the fastest, easiest and quickest way for somebody to deal with an issue around simple possession would be to just pursue the expungement process. Its why its there.

In denying the presidents request, Baker reemphasized a 2018 piece of legislation he signed into law allowing individuals once prosecuted for cannabis-related conduct to seek out and erase their records.

Last week, Baker initially declined to say what he would do in response to Bidens request during his remaining months as governor.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement to the Boston Globe she would accept the presidents request, though her campaign did not elaborate if former defendants will need to apply for a pardon.

Her opponent, Republican Geoff Diehl, called Bidens request the latest in a series of outrageous moves… to eliminate consequences for wrongful actions, according to previous reporting by MassLive.

Other prominent Massachusetts elected officials voiced their support for Bidens pardon request and his demand to legalize marijuana at the federal level, including Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.