Gov. Ned Lamont announced Tuesday that thousands of Connecticut residents convicted of low-level cannabis possession are set to be cleared on Jan. 1.

The governor's office says records in about 44,000 cases will be fully or partially erased.

This is part of a policy Lamont signed into law in 2021 to safely regulate adult use of cannabis.

"Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations," the governor said.

Anyone whose records are erased will be able to tell employers, landlords and schools that the conviction never happened.

Other record erasures under the state's Clean Slate Law are expected to take place in the second half of next year.