A South Carolina lawmaker has filed a “420 Day” bill that would require annual marijuana pardons on the cannabis holiday.
Rep. JA Moore (D) filed the bill on Wednesday, which would require officials to issue pardons for people with marijuana convictions on their records annually on the unofficial cannabis holiday.
The measure would direct the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services to provide relief to at least 20 percent of those who’ve completed their sentence for simple marijuana possession every year on April 20.
The department could theoretically grant more cannabis pardons but it’s not clear why the sponsor set a 20 percent minimum beyond playing into the holiday.
Moore did say that proposal is meant to serve as a conversation-starter.
The text of the bill stipulates this proposal would only apply “to the pardoning of the offense of simple possession of marijuana and not to other unrelated convictions.”
“Possession of marijuana is a nonviolent offense and it’s a crime that has been enforced unjustly since its inception,” Moore said. “We need to force a conversation on this issue and that is the intention of my bill.”
The bill, H.7614, has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
A recent poll has revealed that three in four South Carolina Republican primary voters say they support legalizing medical marijuana.
