When a state legalizes adult-use cannabis, it is acknowledging that public interest has turned against the continued criminalization of cannabis. However, simply repealing the prohibition of cannabis is insufficient: millions of individuals across the U.S. still bear the lifelong burden of having a cannabis record, and tens of thousands are actively serving sentences for cannabis-related convictions. Montana is one of the few states that has not only legalized adult-use cannabis but has also simultaneously set up processes that can provide retroactive relief to individuals that have been criminalized during prohibition. Unfortunately, the retroactive relief processes are not state-initiated, which has limited how many individuals can actually receive relief. Get started by writing a letter to your governor and learning more about the state of cannabis justice in Montana below!

Americans on both sides of the aisle support pardoning those with cannabis-related convictions. But the public needs to pressure their governors to do what’s right. Through our Pardons to Progress campaign, you can urge your governor to deliver bold action and immediate relief by granting clemency to the tens of thousands of people still incarcerated for cannabis in your state.