California prosecutors dropping, reducing pot convictions
SAN FRANCISCO — With pot now legal in California, prosecutors in San Francisco and San Diego are moving to erase thousands of marijuana convictions en masse, a step that could prove life-changing for some and could especially help minorities, who were more likely than whites to be arrested for such crimes.
“We want to address the wrongs that were caused by the failures of the war on drugs for many years in this country and begin to fix the harm that was done not only to the entire nation but specifically to communities of colour,” San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said.
Advocates are calling on more counties to do the same. Gascon’s office said Thursday that other California district attorneys have called San Francisco for advice on handling marijuana cases.
Gascon said he hopes to spark a trend in California.