OTTAWA — Hundreds of Manitobans will soon be eligible for pardons over minor cannabis charges, but they’ll have to serve their full sentence, and could still be blocked from crossing into the United States.
On Wednesday, federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters he intends to table legislation by the end of 2018 that would waive the five-year probation period and $631 fee required to apply for a pardon for the offence of simple possession under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
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However, Ottawa criminal-defence lawyer Michael Spratt said without an expungement, a pardoned conviction is still documented, and can come up at the American border.
“The pardon process may not help at all with travel to the U.S.,” he said.
Read Dylan Robertson’s full article: Winnipeg Free Press
