The system is already withdrawing these cases. Expungement should follow the same logic.
NPA prosecution data shows that cannabis possession cases are increasingly treated as not worth pursuing — which strengthens the case for state-led, automatic expungement rather than putting the burden on each individual to apply.
47%
withdrawal rate for cannabis possession prosecutions
Caseload trend (illustrative — replace with sourced NPA data)
Rising caseloads paired with a near-half withdrawal rate point to a system already spending resources on cases it doesn't ultimately pursue. Automatic expungement under section 5(1) removes that duplicated effort on both sides — for the state and for the person carrying the record.