The move toward marijuana legalization and the viability of hemp as an economic infusion product has reached Pennsylvania. The tide is turning with respect to understanding the true historical value and application of hemp in the American economy, and the social apprehension is clearly fading. States across the nation are quickly realizing that the benefits of industrialized hemp clearly outweigh the potential dangers of the pharmaceutical relative of the plant that contains THC. The state approval can relieve the court system of unnecessary docket stress and allow people to use THC responsibly under the law.
Some of the benefits
The economic impact alone is enough to encourage governments to legalize or at least decriminalize marijuana use and possession. The medical marijuana restriction no longer makes sense from an economic standpoint. And Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf agrees that drug charges for possession of marijuana are pointless. The concept that prohibition provides a social protection is no longer the dominant perception according to Gov. Wolf in advocating legalization of the long-time illegal substance.
Criminal records
Another vital component of the legal status change for marijuana is also removing the criminal conviction records of those who have previously been charged with various drug offenses. Other states that have legalized marijuana possession have taken this same step, but there are still some paperwork legalities associated with a successful expungement that require the help of a criminal defense attorney who can assemble all pertinent information when filing the necessary motion.
Sealing court records in any state can be a complicated matter because certain information is required to be supplied establishing eligibility of the conviction record for expungement. Each conviction entry must be evaluated before an order can be issued, and it is incumbent on all petitioners and their legal counsel to provide that information.