Biden Issues More Cannabis Pardons but…

dwkl · December 29, 2023

Joe Biden has indeed taken a step forward by extending pardons to individuals charged with simple cannabis possession and use. However, it is disheartening to note that he has not yet granted clemency to those currently incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses.

In an extension of the previous year’s extensive federal pardons for cannabis possession, Joe Biden has issued additional pardons for thousands of individuals convicted of simple cannabis use and possession on federal lands and in Washington D.C., according to the Associated Press.

The White House recently announced the granting of clemency to 11 individuals incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses, recognizing their disproportionately long sentences.

It is essential to note that these pardons do not lead to the immediate release of any current prisoners serving time for cannabis-related offenses.

Rather, the objective behind these pardons is to address the barriers that past cannabis convictions impose on individuals seeking employment and housing opportunities.

This signifies a symbolic shift in the federal government’s approach to cannabis convictions, aiming to support individuals reintegrating into society.

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Biden said that the pardons would help make the “promise of equal justice a reality,” the report said.

“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.” – President Joe Biden, via the AP

President Biden reiterated his desire for governors in the United States to eliminate state cannabis convictions, emphasizing the importance of this action.

“Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.”

Officially, cannabis continues to be federally prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule I substance, a classification reserved for substances deemed to have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended in August that cannabis be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III.

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