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Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes announces WNY marijuana expungement clinics

Marijuana Boom Oklahoma
Posted at 11:01 AM, Mar 27, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-27 11:01:15-04

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — NYS Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes has announced she will host three marijuana expungement clinics in Western New York.

The marijuana expungement bill passed in 2019 allows for the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana an expunges the record of those with low-level convictions. Peoples-Stokes says it is estimated 5,000 Buffalo residents are impacted by these convictions.

The clinics will take place at the following times and locations:

  1. Saturday, April 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Gerard Place, 2515 Bailey Avenue Buffalo, NY 14215.
  2. Thursday, April 22 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Buffalo and Erie County Library, 1 Lafayette Square Buffalo, NY 14203.
  3. Saturday, April 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Gerard Place, 2515 Bailey Avenue Buffalo, NY 14215.

They are free and open to the public, although you must pre-register by calling (716) 897-9714.

The purpose of the clinics is to allow those who pre-register to sit down with a licensed attorney and discuss the law's benefits and make a decision on whether to apply for destruction of their records.

I’m proud to be able to bring this service to City of Buffalo residents and would like to thank all of our legal partners for making these clinics possible. Each individual’s case and circumstances are unique, so it’s important that everyone be informed of their rights under this law because they should have the opportunity to decide whether having their marijuana conviction records destroyed is the right call for them.
- Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes

The clinics are a partnership between Peoples-Stokes and several community partners.

Wednesday Peoples-Stokes confirmed to 7 Eyewitness News that New York State lawmakers reached an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana beginning next year. You can find more information here.