# Birmingham AL to pardon 15,000 with marijuana convictions!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birmingham-al-to-pardon-15-000-with-marijuana-convictions/940393>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 20, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birmingham-al-to-pardon-15-000-with-marijuana-convictions/940393 "2021-04-20T18:44:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birmingham-al-to-pardon-15-000-with-marijuana-convictions/940393/1 "2021-04-20T18:44:52Z")

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WTF is this? Sanity? In _Alabama_?

😃

> **[Birmingham to pardon 15,000 with marijuana convictions](https://apnews.com/article/health-marijuana-alabama-government-and-politics-birmingham-78aaedc49176b9c6e69347d85b978872)**
>
> BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's largest city will issue blanket pardons for more than 15,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions dating back to 1990, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said Tuesday.

> [@](#):
>
> The pardons, linked to city court cases, are automatic, Woodfin said in an announcement made on April 20, a day that [many associate with marijuana use](https://apnews.com/article/89243808761447ae9a3f27f9016bb8f4).
> 
> Many people have a hard time finding work because of drug convictions, and Woodfin said the move would allow them to rejoin the workforce and provide for their families.
> 
> “Here’s why we’re doing this – no one should be held up by a single past mistake. No one should be denied job opportunities or freedoms due to missteps from the past,” he said in a statement.
> 
> The pardons will eliminate convictions for marijuana possession from criminal records from 1990 through 2020 but do not affect pending cases, said a news release. A pardon also does not cancel fines, fees or other costs linked to a marijuana conviction.

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**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birmingham-al-to-pardon-15-000-with-marijuana-convictions/940393/2 "2021-04-20T20:48:03Z")

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Birmingham is a fairly liberal town. They’ve had Democratic mayors since 1975, and Black Democratic mayors since 1979.

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birmingham-al-to-pardon-15-000-with-marijuana-convictions/940393/3 "2021-04-21T22:51:08Z")

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Even without reading the story, I figured the timing of the news release (4/20) wasn’t accidental.

Think President Biden will declare that date a national High Holiday like Willie Nelson wants?