Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin celebrated the unofficial national cannabis holiday by announcing that he would be continuing his trend of pardoning those charged with possession of small amounts of marijuana.
On April 20, commonly referred to as 4/20 day, Woodfin took to Twitter to post a video where he announced that he would be continuing his executive orders to address possession-level charges of marijuana. Woodfin was wearing a shirt that featured a marijuana leaf with the words “legalize Alabama.” The video also featured the iconic music of "The Next Episode" by Dr. Dre, feat. Snoop Dogg.
“As you know this time last year, with my executive powers, I pardoned over 15,000 plus people who had a prior past conviction for simple possession of marijuana,’’ Woodfin said. “I did it because it’s the right thing to do.”
Happy 4/20.
— Randall Woodfin (@randallwoodfin) April 20, 2022
Today, I'm continuing what I started last year and pardoning closed minor marijuana convictions from 4/20/21 - 12/31/21.
Too many Alabamians are left out of economic opportunities due to prior marijuana convictions.
Legalize marijuana and end this injustice. pic.twitter.com/nhf0kTrh7T
Exactly one year ago, Woodfin announced that he would be using his executive powers and issuing sweeping pardons for those convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession between 1990 and 2020. The order came as part of the mayor’s Pardons for Progress initiative. The pardons given out by Woodfin only apply to misdemeanor cases that have gone through the Birmingham municipal court. It also does not apply to open cases, only to cases that are closed.
Woodfin expressed his desire to see marijuana legalized in Alabama, pointing to the various states in the union that have legalized cannabis in one manner or another.
“It’s past time for the state of Alabama to actually catch up,’’ Woodfin said. “This has an impact on not only young people but anybody who needs and deserves a second chance.
“I want to encourage other mayors across the state to do the same thing I’ve done. Use your pardon power to exercise giving people a second chance in this state. But, at the same time, I want to encourage those in the state, as well as in the federal government, to do the right thing and legalize marijuana.”
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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