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Committee hears bill to proactively annul low‑level past cannabis convictions
Summary
HB 196 would direct the Department of Safety to annul certain past misdemeanor or violation-level cannabis possession convictions or permit individuals missed in a proactive process to petition the court. Supporters framed the bill as a way to clear obstacles to housing, employment and federal benefits for people with old records; law enforcement
Concord — Lawmakers debated HB 196, a bill that would direct a proactive process for annulling past misdemeanor and violation-level cannabis possession convictions and allow petition for those missed by the proactive review.
Representative (sponsor) said the bill is intended to help people whose records still show convictions for low-level cannabis possession even as state policy has moved away from frequent criminal prosecution. "The point behind the legislation is similar to what the spirit behind governor Sununu's decriminalization law and its annulment provision was...the state is moving forward on this issue as other states have," the sponsor told the committee.
Supporters included Heather Marie Brown, a patient-representative on the therapeutic…
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