Good morning all,

I am looking for some advice ont he restoration of my right to obtain a License to Carry a Firearm in Pennsylvania. I recently went ot the Sheriff's office in Cumberland County and applie for the license. When the PICS came back they said I was disqualified stemming from a Misdemeanor possession of marijuana (small amount personal use) before college. Since this offense was an ungrade misdemeanor (considered M3) under The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act, I was denied.

For the details of the guilty plea, I had a roach in my car and was charge when I was 24. The arrest is dated 3/2001 with the guilty please being entered 6/2001 at the Magisterial District Justice. From everything I am reading, I am not eligible for a true expungement because it is not a summary offense.

That being said, I have found relevant case law of individuals with felony convictions having gun rights restored.

It has been slightly over 18 years with no other interactions with law enforcement (other than a few speeding tickets) and since that time, I have obtained 2 bachelor's degrees, a master's degree, worked with autistic children, worked with adults with intellectual disabilities, consulted with state governments on improvement of human services programs, and coached youth soccer for the last 10 years.

Unfortunately, the PSP has denied my right to lawfully concealed carry on the basis of an antiquated law. The new Clean Slate law will not restore my LTCF right because it is a limited acccess provision, which means law enforcement will still have access to my record (namely PSP and PICS).

So what I am looking for is advice on how to go about restoring my ability to not only own a firearm, but to carry concealed? Any recommmendations on resources that outline the process or lawyers who specialize in this would be greatly appreciated.

The kicker to all of this is, at the time of my guilty plea, I was legally licensed to carry concealed and allowed it to lapse a few years ago. Now that I am reapplying, I am being denied.

Thanks!