Oregon’s governor pardons thousands for pot convictions

By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has announced she is pardoning an estimated 45,000 people convicted of simple possession of marijuana, a month after President Joe Biden did the same under federal law. Biden has been calling on governors to issue pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of marijuana possession cases. Biden’s pardon applied to those convicted under federal law and thousands convicted in the District of Columbia. Brown is also forgiving more than $14 million in unpaid fines and fees. Oregonians passed a ballot measure legalizing recreational use of marijuana in 2014.