Legalizing marijuana question

[Patrick Chewing]

So let's suppose that marijuana gets legalized in this country. What happens to all these people in jail or prison on marijuana-related offenses? Do they immediately get their sentences revoked? We would then have hundreds of thousands of people back on the streets looking for work. Seems disastrous to me.

Or should those currently in jail or prison finish their sentence simply because at the time they committed the offense, it was illegal?

[Nanners]

In Oregon, a state that recently legalized marijuana, they are retroactively clearing some convictions for nonviolent and one time offenders.

[SpecialQue]

Setting that many inmates free after being hardened by prison time for years would be disastrous, but I see no way of justifying continued incarceration if their offense is no longer a crime. Any stats on what happened to imprisoned bootleggers when prohibition was overturned?

[Akrazotile]

Typically in the legal system if you're convicted of a criminal act, you have to serve the sentence. Even if the act itself is legalized the next day. Certainly there are many instances where sentences are commuted, thrown out, overturned etc for various reasons, but it's not usually due to a change in law. Historically if it's a crime when youre convicted, youre stuck. Im not saying this is ALWAYS the case, but usually.

That being said, when it comes to incarceration of non violent drug offenders, I dont really have a problem if they truncate their sentences. Maybe not release them all at once, but find some sort of way to start getting them back to the outside earlier than the full length of their sentences.

[Yoda]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b2/b3/a8/b2b3a835462f73ddedb3322e29e76ba2.jpg

[Droid101]

In Oregon, a state that recently legalized marijuana, they are retroactively clearing some convictions for nonviolent and one time offenders.
This. Nonviolent offenders, who gives a shit? They'll be fine.

Note: the felonies will NOT be removed from their record. They still knowingly broke the law.

[KNOW1EDGE]

In Oregon, a state that recently legalized marijuana, they are retroactively clearing some convictions for nonviolent and one time offenders.

I am one of these people.

I got a felony for carrying marijuana oil. (Dabs)

It was reduced to a misdimenor, and now I am working with my attorney to have that dropped from my record.

As far as letting people out of jail- maybe people who had simple posession charges, but not traffickers(Cuz it's still illegal to sell unless you own a registered shop)