Colorado's governor pardoned 29 more people — and marijuana convictions are still the biggest category

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced 29 pardons on August 26 — his second clemency batch of the year — with several going to people convicted of marijuana offenses that predate legalization. Five recipients were named publicly, including Jonathan Carey, convicted in 2005 for possessing more than eight ounces, and Derek Bilbrey, whose case dates to 2000.

The batch adds to a running tally the governor's office has kept since 2019: 4,083 marijuana possession pardons issued, alongside 165 individual pardons and 35 sentence commutations across all offense types. Polis's office says it's still working through applications filed before an April 3, 2026 deadline, with more rounds likely before he leaves office.

The governor's stated criteria lean on rehabilitation — education, military service, steady work and community involvement — rather than blanket relief, which is why the batches keep coming in small numbers instead of one mass action.

For people carrying decades-old possession convictions in a state that's sold legal weed since 2014, each round is a real, if incremental, path to clearing records that still show up in background checks for jobs, housing and licensing. It's also a reminder that pardons and expungement move on the state's timeline, not the industry's — patience is the only lever most applicants have.