The governor would be able to mass-pardon marijuana convictions for possession of 2 ounces or less if he signs a bill that gives him that authority.

It was the last amendment to the last bill considered Monday before Colorado’s General Assembly ended its work for the year. Lawmakers added the mass expungement option to House Bill 1424, which aims to open the marijuana industry to people of color and those who were previously convicted on drug charges that wouldn’t be crimes now.

A spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis didn’t directly answer whether he would sign it but sounded supportive Tuesday afternoon.

“The Governor is happy that a meaningful, bipartisan bill addressing marijuana equity passed the legislature and thanks lawmakers for their efforts to get this bill to his desk,” Conor Cahill said.

Longmont Democrat Rep. Jonathan Singer had been working on a bill earlier this year to automatically clear past marijuana convictions, but a shortage of time and money in the Capitol forced him to drop it after the pandemic struck. In a last-minute move in his final days as a lawmaker, Singer decided to try to get an amendment on another bill that would at least pave the way to get convictions cleared. [Read more at The Denver Post]