MN Expunges 58K Marijuana Convictions Following 2023 Cannabis Act

ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota marijuana convictions that qualify for automatic expungement under the 2023 Adult-Use Cannabis Act are no longer visible to the public in the Minnesota Criminal History System, state officials announced Monday.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said it expunged 57,780 records in the criminal system almost three months ahead of schedule. The project required extensive coding changes to the system to seal qualifying records from public view.

"We are pleased to be able to deliver on this legislative priority," BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. "Minnesotans will see changes to their records immediately and as additional expungements are made in the months and years ahead."

There were 213 additional records set for expungement, but the Minnesota Judicial Branch determined they did not qualify.

The Department of Safety said it will next provide a "by-agency" list of records expunged at the state level to local criminal justice agencies so that they can expunge related records in their own systems.

The convictions that qualify for automatic expungement are misdemeanors and considered low-level.

Some felony-level marijuana convictions may qualify for expungement under the law, but require a review by the independent Cannabis Expungement Board.

"The Cannabis Expungement Board is tasked with the thoughtful and careful review of cannabis-related felonies and we are quickly moving forward to build a team to accomplish the work,” Cannabis Expungements Board Executive Director James Rowader said.

"It is very encouraging to see that misdemeanor cannabis criminal records are moving toward expungement now. These actions together will have a lasting and significant equity impact on communities throughout the state of Minnesota."

The board will consider whether resentencing or expungement is appropriate under the law, but the process is expected to take several years.