Editorial: Inslee right to ease path on marijuana clemency

It’s a move that makes sense out of simple fairness: If possession of marijuana — meant only for one’s own use and not for sale — is now legal, why keep past convictions for that misdemeanor prior to its legalization on the record.

For those with a misdemeanor conviction for marijuana possession that occurred before the state’s voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2012, those convictions have remained on their records, publicly available, where they can be used to deny employment, housing, a home mortgage or federal student loan financing, among other hardships.

For example, those applying for student loans and other aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process are asked whether they have been convicted of a drug offense while receiving federal student aid. Eligibility can be suspended if the answer is yes, and restoring eligibility requires having the conviction reversed or set aside or passing two unannounced drug tests.

On Friday, speaking at a conference for the legal marijuana industry, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a step to restore fairness for an estimated 3,500 in the state. That 3,500 represents a fraction of all marijuana convictions in the state issued prior to the passage of Initiative 502, but it’s a start and establishes a relatively simple process for those who qualify.

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