Outgoing Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin pardoned 192 people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions on Tuesday after encouraging them to apply by Christmas.
Shumlin, a Democrat, had promised to consider pardoning marijuana-related convictions for those without violent histories who had also not been found guilty of reckless driving or driving under the influence, according to The New York Times.
Nearly 400 people applied for the pardons, and 192 met the conditions for being pardoned, Shumlin’s administration found.
“While attitudes and laws about marijuana use are rapidly changing, there is still a harmful stigma associated with it,” Shumlin said in a statement, the Times reported. “My hope was to help as many individuals as I could overcome that stigma and the very real struggles that too often go along with it.”
Marijuana-related convictions could keep people from finding work, going to college, or traveling outside the country in some cases, according to the Times.
Seven states and the District of Columbia now allow recreational use of marijuana, while 28 plus D.C. allow medical marijuana in some form. Other states have decriminalized possession of small amounts of the substance.
Marijuana is not yet legal in Vermont, but Shumlin encouraged his successor, Republican Phil Scott, to legalize its use. Scott is considering legalization and supports the pardons, according to the Burlington Free Press. Up to 17,000 people may have been eligible for the pardons.
Shumlin has issued more pardons since taking office in 2010 than any other governor in Vermont’s history, totaling 208. Scott will be sworn in as governor on Thursday.
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