USCC Praises Bipartisan Cannabis Expungement Bill from Reps. Joyce and Ocasio-Cortez

December 2, 2021

Steven Hawkins, CEO of US Cannabis Council, issued the following statement in response to the release of the Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act:

"States have a key role to play alongside the federal government in addressing the harms of cannabis prohibition. We strongly support the new proposal by Reps. David Joyce and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to provide funding to states and localities to expedite expungement of nonviolent cannabis offenses.

"Tens of thousands of Americans remain in prison on cannabis charges, and millions more face the unrelenting consequences of cannabis prohibition. Criminal histories resulting from cannabis charges harm job prospects, limit housing options and close off educational opportunities. People of color have been disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of cannabis.

"The HOPE Act would provide an important boost to criminal justice reform efforts by making critical funds available for states and localities to expunge the records of former, non-violent cannabis offenders. Expungement can provide desperately needed relief to millions of Americans, but it can also be costly and needlessly complicated. The new legislation would facilitate expungement and data collection on the impact of cannabis criminalization.

“USCC is firmly committed to advancing criminal justice reform and social equity as key components of comprehensive cannabis reform and legalization. We urge Congress to enact the provisions of the HOPE Act.”