WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden announced that he is pardoning people with federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana. This is a historic move that could help more than 6,500 people. And it sends a powerful message on how such actions should be treated.
The vast majority of convictions occur at the state level. The president is urging governors to likewise pardon those offenders. More than 540,000 people were arrested for marijuana-related offenses in 2019 —primarily for state offenses, according to the FBI.
“Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana,” Biden said in a video announcement. “It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
Biden is also asking the departments of Justice, and Health and Human Services to review how marijuana should be scheduled under federal law. White House officials said the president is making the move to fulfill a campaign promise as efforts in Congress to address the issue have stalled.
“As I often said during my campaign for president, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit.” ~President Joe Biden
Biden said the “collateral consequences” of convictions for marijuana possession include being denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities. He also said Black and brown people have been arrested and convicted at disproportionate rates despite using marijuana at similar rates as white people.
The Justice Department will issue certificates of pardons to those eligible. That process will begin implementation “in coming days,” according to department spokesman Anthony Coley. The pardons will apply to those convicted under the District of Columbia’s drug laws, which covers “thousands” more people, according to the White House.
The president’s pardon also blocks future federal prosecutions for simple possession. Marijuana is a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act. The classification is meant for the most dangerous substances. It represents drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Other Schedule 1 drugs include heroin and LSD, while fentanyl and methamphetamine are Schedule 2 substances.
Over the years, Congress has enacted dozens of mandatory minimum sentencing laws for all drug-related offenses that led to longer incarceration periods. Repeat offenders were subjected to compulsory sentence enhancements such as doubling up penalties, which vary by substance. Some have even faced mandatory life imprisonment without parole if convicted of a third serious offense, per various reports by the United States Sentencing Commission.
The Justice Department will work with the Department of Health and Human Services on a “scientific review” of marijuana’s classification. There is no deadline for that review.
Read the Proclamation:President Joe Biden’s proclamation on granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of marijuana
My opinion? Excellent move. The President made a significant step in addressing the systemic racism within the criminal justice system. And it’s progressive. Medical use of cannabis products is allowed in 37 states and the District of Columbia. It can be used recreationally in 19 states and the District of Columbia. It’s time we decriminalize it.
Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with a Drug Offense or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.
