On New Year’s Day, Governor Ned Lamont (D) announced that thousands of Connecticut residents convicted of cannabis possession are having their records erased in an automated process. “Especially when employers are trying to fill vacancies, an old low-obsession conviction should not deter anyone from their aspirations,” he said.

Clean Slate and Cannabis Erasure website

Gathered Monday at the Reentry Welcome Center in Hartford, Gov. Lamont, the Lieutenant Governor and state legislators welcomed the launch of the Clean Slate and Cannabis Erasure online portal to facilitate the sealing of cannabis records. reported a local news agency.

Gov. Lamont said it was an “honour to do whatever we can to remove obstacles” for those already convicted of cannabis. “If you believe in public safety, if you believe in hope, if you believe in criminal justice, if you believe in giving people that second chance, wiping that — a clean slate — makes a difference.”

Governor Lamont tweeted this on January 9th:

The move came just a day before CT’s leisure market launch. Around 10 a.m. Tuesday, more than half a dozen retailers across the state will open their doors and start stocking cannabis.

“It’s a first step. But the deletion of tens of thousands of people from criminal records is tremendous because it means those families now have many more options,” said Lt. gov. Susan Bysiewicz (D). “It’s unacceptable that people of color, black people who make up 10 percent of our population, have 35 percent of these deletions. This is a small step, but an important step.”

Marc Pelka, State Secretary at the State Office for Politics and Administration, added: “The petition relates to certain older crimes that cannot be erased from electronic systems.” He noted that the website does not automatically seal the process for those whose records were, “pretty uncomplicated” makes.

Officials stressed…