Tulsa attorney explains sentence reversal element of SQ820

TULSA, Okla. — Oklahomans head to the polls Tuesday to vote on whether or not to legalize leisure marijuana.

State Query 820 would permit adults 21 and older to legally buy marijuana for leisure use. It could additionally permit some folks with felony drug convictions to have these convictions reversed.

Sabah Khalaf is a legal protection legal professional who additionally served on the board for State Query 788. That’s the measure that voters handed in 2018 to legalize medical marijuana.

Khalaf says the component of the measure that may additionally reverse some marijuana convictions is restricted in what it covers.

“The phrase expungement is just used one time in your complete invoice,” he stated.

Khalaf says an expungement would seal the information. This measure would permit convicted felons to ask a decide to reclassify or reverse the conviction, however it’s not a complete expungement.

“The information are nonetheless there, they’d not have a felony conviction,” he stated.

Nevertheless, it will assist lay the groundwork for a possible expungement.

Influence of SQ820 on Oklahoma faculties

MORE >>> Oklahoma college districts weigh in on affect of State Query 820

Tulsa County District Legal professional Steve Kunzweiler spoke Monday on the capitol towards SQ820, saying it fuels extra addicts for revenue.

“I usually ask this query after I’m in a gathering,” he stated. “Inform me one thing good about tobacco. Nobody can. It’s an business that preyed upon youngsters. Marijuana is not any completely different.”

Khalaf believes legalizing marijuana would assist preserve it regulated and preserve extra folks from shopping for off the black market, and that reversing felony convictions is the proper factor to do.

“What are you truly telling society? This individual is a convicted felon similar to the man who robbed a QuikTrip is a convicted felon. It’s not like society distinguishes a distinction between the 2,” he stated. “The man in possession of some weed can’t vote, they don’t get to pursue a greater profession and lives in the identical cycle because the man who consciously selected to rob a retailer.”

Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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