{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-troy-carter-rodney-davis-introduce-bipartisan-criminal-justice", "Congressmen Troy Carter, Rodney Davis Introduce Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Bill to Expunge\u00a0Federal Marijuana Misdemeanors", "2022-07-29", "2022", "2022-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 This week, Congressmen Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) introduced bipartisan legislation to create an expungement mechanism for low-level violations of federal marijuana law and provide an expedited, orderly process that clears the deck of non-felony marijuana offenses lingering in the federal system. The Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Actwould deliver justice for countless Americans whose lives have been disrupted and deprived because of a misdemeanor Marijuana offense, activity now lawful for either recreational or medical purposes in 38 states.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to introduce The Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Act, bipartisan legislation that will restore justice to millions of Americans who have suffered inordinate collateral consequences associated with marijuana-related misdemeanors,\u201d said Congressman Troy Carter. \u201cThese misdemeanors \u2013 even without a conviction \u2013 can result in restrictions to peoples\u2019 ability to access educational aid, housing assistance, occupational licensing and even foster parenting. Delivering justice for our citizens who have been impacted by marijuana-related misdemeanors is a key component of comprehensive cannabis reform.\u201d\n\n\u201cGiven the number of states, like Illinois, where marijuana has long been legalized for adult-use, we must ensure that our criminal justice system keeps pace so that individuals with low-level misdemeanor violations related to its use does not preclude them from getting jobs and participating in society,\u201d said Congressman Rodney Davis.\n\nSeveral cannabis reform advocates and activists also shared their support for this legislation to create a federal mechanism to expunge the records of marijuana-related misdemeanors:\n\n\u201cFor far too long, millions of Americans have been affected by the lifelong consequences of marijuana-related convictions on their record for simply possessing a small quantity of cannabis,\u201d said Weldon Angelos, President of the Weldon Project. \u201cI want to thank Congressman Troy Carter for introducing this bill, which will be nothing short of lifechanging for so many people and their families. Our country must move toward a post-prohibition approach to federal cannabis law and create a mechanism to expunge low-level violations of federal marijuana law.\u201d\n\n\u201cI want to thank the cosponsors for introducing this important legislation, which offers an approach to marijuana expungement that is coherent, efficient, and just \u2013 all without threatening public safety,\u201d said Professor Erik Luna of Arizona State University and founder of the Academy for Justice at the Sandra Day O\u2019Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.\n\n\u201cThis landmark legislation will allow countless Americans to move forward with their lives, remove an impediment to economic progress and restore the ability to maximize their full potential \u2013 both for themselves and their families,\u201d said Roz McCarthy, Founder and CEO of Minorities 4 Medical Marijuana. \u201cAddressing the negative societal & economic effects permeated by marijuana prohibition at both the federal and state level will be critical as we seek to deliver comprehensive cannabis reform in this country. I want to thank Representative Carter for introducing The Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Act, support expeditious movement through the procedural process and I look forward to working with them to move this bill forward in the weeks to come.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe National Cannabis Roundtable and our members are committed to cannabis reforms that right past wrongs and advance social equity. The Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Act does just that,\u201d said Saphira Galoob, Executive Director of the National Cannabis Roundtable. \u201cWe applaud Representative Carter for his strong leadership on cannabis reform, and we wholeheartedly support this landmark legislation.\u201d\n\n\"It is unacceptable that those who have been convicted of low-level marijuana offenses, often disproportionately black and brown people, continue to have the conviction hang over their heads \u2013 especially as cannabis legalization, research, and reform efforts are more supported by the American people than ever before,\u201d said Dr. Chanda Macias, CEO of National Holistic Healing Center. \u201cI applaud Congressman Carter for introducing this important piece of legislation that continues to reduce the harm caused by the War on Drugs and pushes towards a more equitable playing field for patients of the plant.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-troy-carter-rodney-davis-introduce-bipartisan-criminal-justice"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7339079640805721, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}