Governor signed 2021 legislation that required expungement of cannabis possession convictions from criminal records

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday praised President Biden’s decision to pardon prior federal offenses for simple cannabis possession:

“Similar to New Mexico’s expungement of cannabis offenses, President Biden today announced critical steps toward righting the wrongs of a failed war on drugs and fixing a system that has too often placed an undue burden on people of color.

“Thousands of Americans have been overly penalized for the simple use or possession of cannabis, including through jail time and limitations on opportunities in housing, employment and education. New Mexico has already taken action to stop these antiquated policies from harming anyone else, and I was proud to have made the expungement of simple cannabis possession convictions from criminal records a cornerstone of New Mexico’s legalization process.”