Cincinnati City Council is considering expunging criminal cases involving people who were convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana.
The issue and a related ordinance were on the agenda at Council’s Law & Public Safety meeting Monday. It unanimously passed in a vote and now will go onto full council.
It calls for those convicted of nonviolent offenses involving 100 grams of marijuana or less to have their record expunged.
“There are a lot of people who have been harmed by this,” said Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman. Along with Councilman Jeff Pastor, he proposed legislation that led to council decriminalizing possession of 100 grams or less of marijuana in the city over the summer.
Starting in 2021, council will earmark money annually for these expungements.
The city manager will be responsible for identifying who qualifies for one, how much it will cost and connecting them with representation services, according to the ordinance.
A person can still be cited for possession, but they will not be fined or have a criminal record.
