Lansing pot shop looks to erase criminal records

FRIDAY, Aug. 6 — Greater Lansing residents who are looking to have their marijuana-related charges wiped from their criminal records are invited to participate in an upcoming expungement clinic hosted in partnership with Pure Options and the Legal Services of South Central Michigan. 

The clinic is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14 at 740 W. May St. in Lansing. Up to 100 eligible participants will be paired with a volunteer legal working pro bono to review ICHAT records and help people navigate expungement made available through recent state legislation.

Pure Options and LSSCM are also recruiting interested attorneys, paralegals and law students to participate. In-depth training will also be provided to legal volunteers that assist with the clinic.

In April, “clean slate” legislation took effect in Michigan, allowing those with certain criminal convictions a chance to have them removed from their record — including pot-related misdemeanors that would be considered legal after recreational weed was legalized in 2018.

Expungement of pot-related criminal records can benefit local community members by advancing their careers, furthering their education and stabilizing their housing situations. The process, however, can be daunting without legal experts to help wade through the paperwork. 

Those interested in participating can register online at pureoptions.com. Legal professionals who are interested in volunteering can visit lsscm.org or email smunro@lsscm.org for details.

Pure Options bills itself among Michigan’s “premier” provisioning centers. The company employs 300 people and operates a 10,000-square-foot growing facility and five dispensaries in Michigan. The company’s new flagship retail store is also set to open near Frandor this fall. 

The city of Lansing is also hosting another expungement clinic and community resource fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Letts Community Center, 1220 W. Kalamazoo St. Those interested in more information about expunging a criminal conviction are encouraged to pre-register for the event online by visiting lansingmi.gov/expungement. 

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