Antigua And Barbuda To Expunge Cannabis Convictions

A cannabis conviction on a person’s record can wreak havoc on their life, long after the penalty for the conviction has been completed. It can prevent people from gaining employment, housing, government assistance, and many other things.

My father is an unfortunate example of this. He was convicted of a cannabis-only offense in 1986 in Oregon involving 112 grams of cannabis. He still cannot volunteer as a wrestling coach in Oregon in 2025, even though Oregon legalized cannabis a decade ago, and adults in Oregon can possess up to 224 grams in their homes.

With that in mind, it is always a big deal when a government decides to expunge prior cannabis offenses and/or pardon the individuals involved, which is reportedly what is happening in Antigua and Barbuda.

“The Antigua and Barbuda Government says it will table at the next sitting of Parliament legislation aimed at expunging the criminal records of individuals convicted for possession of small quantities of cannabis and granting them official pardons.” reported Jamaica Observer in its local coverage.

“A statement issued following the weekly Cabinet meeting said that Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Steadroy Cuttie Benjamin, has been authorised to draft the legislation that will offer a pardon to persons convicted of having less than 15 grams of marijuana.” the outlet also reported.

It is unclear at this time how many individual cases will be impacted. Antigua and Barbuda is an independent Commonwealth archipelagic country located in the Caribbean, comprising its two namesake islands and several smaller ones.

Lawmakers in Antigua and Barbuda previously approved a cannabis policy modernization measure that decriminalized individual cannabis possession. Further reforms that would legalize cannabis sales have also been pursued but have so far failed to reach the finish line.