Keeping yet another promise, President Joe Biden pardoned thousands of individuals convicted of possessing marijuana Thursday, saying the current system “makes no sense.”
The Biden Administration obviously agrees, and in an exclusive to Washington Press, a staffer said, “This is all about the promises made and promises kept. The President has been clear for years: our nation’s marijuana laws are not working. This is bold, unprecedented action by a President to address arcane policies and reform our country’s laws.”
The President’s announcement sent pot stocks soaring—cannabis companies Tilray Brands and Canopy Growth each saw shares jump roughly 25% and 20%, respectively, in afternoon trading—and also brought joy to countless social media users, many of whom have been advocating for decriminalization for years.
The pardons will apply only to federal offenders convicted of “simple marijuana possession” as well as those charged in the District of Columbia, but President Biden called on governors across the country to follow suit. The President said:
“Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.”
More than 6,500 individuals with prior convictions for simple marijuana possession were impacted by the pardons, said a White House official.
Thousands more gained through pardons under D.C. law.
The pardons will not be extended to those who weren’t U.S. citizens at the time of their arrests.
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Second: I’m calling on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses. Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely for possessing marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 6, 2022
“There are thousands of people who were convicted for marijuana possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result,” President Biden said. “My pardon will remove this burden on them.”
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In addition to the pardons, President Biden said he had instructed both Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland to begin reviewing how marijuana is classified under federal drug laws.
The President rightly noted that marijuana is currently a schedule one substance under federal drug sentencing guidelines, “the same as heroin and LSD—and more serious than fentanyl,” he said.
“It makes no sense.”
I’d also like to note that as federal and state regulations change, we still need important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and underage sales of marijuana.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 6, 2022
And he’s right.
Nineteen states have already legalized weed, and dispensaries were declared “essential businesses” during the early weeks of the Coronavirus pandemic for a reason.
Marijuana has countless medical uses, and the states where it’s been legalized have seen their economies explode.
And it’s a smart move heading into the midterms as well since an overwhelming number of Democratic voters support the national legalization of marijuana.
And yes, a few Republicans support it too, but not because they’re cool.
Those human buzzkills just want to figure out a way to regulate weed as they do with tobacco so they can tax it to the max and line their bank accounts with more of our cash (usually in $2 bills, which have to get circulated because no one else wants them, so dispensaries, which are cash-only, use them when handing out a customer’s change).
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But it’s the right move by Joe Cool, who might not partake of the herb himself but isn’t above letting the rest of us unwind with some sweet, Sweet Indica to shut our brains off after a day in the political trenches.
Thanks, bud!
Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Hear from @POTUS on the three steps he is taking to right these wrongs. pic.twitter.com/IqOxHxjgue
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 6, 2022
Follow Tara Dublin on Twitter @taradublinrocks
