BEN NUCKOLS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers in the nation’s capital have voted to make it easier for people who have marijuana convictions to have their criminal records sealed.

Approval of the bill follows the D.C. Council’s move earlier this year to decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot. Next month, voters will decide whether possession of up to two ounces of pot should be legal in the District of Columbia.

Paul Zukerberg, a criminal defense attorney and a candidate for attorney general in the District, says he had hundreds of clients who would benefit from the record-sealing bill, especially when applying for jobs or housing. But he noted that it’s hard to erase a record entirely after it has spent years in public databases.

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