Democrat JB Pritzker says pardons represent first wave of thousands expected under state’s new marijuana legalization law.

Illinois governor JB Pritzker granted more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions on Tuesday, describing the step as a first wave of thousands of such expungements anticipated under the state’s new marijuana legalization law.

The expungement process is a key part of the law, which takes effect on Wednesday and makes Illinois the 11th state to legalize marijuana for people 21 or older. Lawmakers said they wanted to repair some of the damage caused by efforts to combat sale and use of the drug, particularly in minority communities.

Pritzker, a Democrat, announced the pardons at a church on Chicago’s South Side. He said clearing the misdemeanor offenses from individuals’ records would make it easier for them to get jobs, housing and financial aid for college.

– Read the entire article at The Guardian.