Previous Cannabis Convictions Under Review

The Impact of Previous Marijuana Convictions on Sentencing for New Crimes Is Being Reviewed by the Federal Commission

The federal U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC) has stated that it is evaluating potential changes to rules on the use of prior convictions for marijuana possession as a factor in determining the appropriate sentence for new crimes committed.

According to a report in Marijuana Moment, the federal judiciary’s 14 policy priorities for the amendment cycle ending in May 2023 were agreed unanimously. 

An early version of the priority proposal list didn’t contain cannabis but once President Joe Biden issued a mass marijuana pardon proclamation, it was included and adopted.

Although the USSC’s sentencing guidelines are no longer mandatory, judges must nevertheless weigh them into their calculations and conclusions since they are still seen as relevant.

Now that “the consequences of simple possession of marijuana convictions” is being taken into consideration, the USSC is prioritizing looking at changing the rules for reviewing defendants’ criminal histories.

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