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Aurora Cannabis advocates for cannabis record expungement in Canada

In support of its advocacy work, Aurora Cannabis Inc. has announced its renewed sponsorship of Cannabis Amnesty, which is calling for blanket pardons to all individuals for the offence of simple possession of cannabis. Aurora’s sponsorship, which includes a $50-million contribution, will include the support of Cannabis Amnesty’s campaign to “right these historical wrongs – especially the impact on racialized communities”, as stated in an Aurora Cannabis press release.

As more than half a million Canadians still have criminal records for simply possessing cannabis, a barrier has been created in terms of finding meaningful work, and the ability to volunteer and travel.

“As a proudly Canadian company, Aurora values our roots in advocating for cannabis record pardons with Cannabis Amnesty,” said Miguel Martin, CEO of Aurora Cannabis. “We have a responsibility to those communities who have been disproportionately impacted. Canadians, or anyone for that matter, shouldn’t be burdened with a criminal record for a minor, non-harmful act that is no longer a crime.”

The $50,000 contribution from Aurora will go toward Cannabis Amnesty’s ability to enhance its operations, facilitating their ability to directly engage with and support communities harmed by cannabis prohibition. A portion of the funds will go toward the hiring of Cannabis Amnesty’s first full-time staff member, in collaboration with TOQi Technologies Ltd., to lead the next phase of cannabis advocacy.

“Aurora’s Cannabis Amnesty sponsorship demonstrates leadership within the cannabis industry, taking a step forward to address the social inequities of cannabis prohibition,” said Annamaria Enenajor, founder of Cannabis Amnesty. As part of the next phase of its cannabis advocacy, Cannabis Amnesty looks “for pardons and cannabis record expungement with a focus on the disproportionate criminal records still held by racialized communities in Canada and working in the community to provide pardon resources directly to individuals”, the press release concluded.