Gov. Jared Polis has held clemency powers since 2019, and his office counts 25 commutations and thousands of pardons, including 4,083 for marijuana, many for possession, Colorado Public Radio reports. He also granted four psilocybin pardons.
He typically issues clemency near the end of December but did not in 2025, and applications were due by April 3, 2026. The article does not say how many people remain incarcerated for marijuana offenses.
Why it matters: The pardons cover possession, and the 2020 order applied to an ounce or less, so they do not address people serving time for sales or cultivation.
Source: Colorado Public Radio, 2026-01-30. Forgotten Prisoner's account is based on this reporting.