Expungement clinic Saturday paid for by marijuana tax dollars

A nonprofit coalition is hosting a marijuana expungement clinic at Crooked Tooth Brewing Co. on Saturday, March 5.

The clinic is from 3-6 p.m. and services are free of charge.

Led by Southern Arizona Legal Aid as part of the Arizona Marijuana Expungement Coalition’s statewide initiative dubbed “Reclaim Your Future/Reclama tu Futuro,” the clinic is different then those put on by other organizations, such as the Pima County Attorney’s Office, in a few ways.

The clinic, as well as future clinics planned to be held monthly, is paid for by a grant of $4 million in tax revenue raised from adult-use recreational marijuana purchases. The funds are distributed by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

“Because of the grant, we were able to create this new unit at Southern Arizona Legal Aid,” said Katie Rogers, the senior attorney for the Southern Arizona Expungement Unit. “We’ve got a three-attorney unit that only works expungements. That would not have existed, but for the grant. The clinics? It’s the same.”

The grant was part of a provision in Prop. 207, which legalized recreational marijuana use and allowed for expungement of prior personal-use and small possession marijuana offenses. Rogers said she feels the process, and subsequent restoration of people’s rights, are the real victory of Prop. 207.

“These are the people that really need to get free of these collateral consequences,” she said. “We really want to expand it.”

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Rogers was referring to possible legislation aimed at expanding the expungable limit of what is considered personal use.

Currently, anyone convicted, charged or arrested (or even acquitted) of possessing, consuming or transporting 2½ ounces or less of marijuana, with no more than 12½ grams being concentrate, is eligible for expungement.

Expungement also applies to charges related to marijuana paraphernalia as well as transporting, cultivating or possessing and processing no more than six marijuana plants in a person’s place of residence.

Anyone looking to have a case expunged should bring any documentation to the clinic, Rogers said. She and her team will be on hand to help walk potential applicants through the process.

Joe Watson, spokesman for the Arizona Marijuana Expungement Coalition, said the coalition, which is a collection of seven groups from around the state all connected in their goal of reaching as many people with expungable cases as possible, also sets the clinic apart from others.

“For county attorney’s offices or other organizations, they’re relying on the limited resources that they have. But with this, this is actually funded by the state.”