Joe Biden Pardons Thousands Convicted of Simple Marijuana Possession, Orders Review of Federal Pot Laws

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced that he is pardoning thousands of people convicted of "simple possession" of marijuana. He is also calling on state governments to do the same.

In his video address, Biden noted the racial disparities for people who suffer the consequences of simple possession of marijuana charges.

"While white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people are arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates," said the president.

According to PBS, this executive action will benefit 6,500 people with federal convictions from 1992 to 2021, as well as thousands of others who were charged under the District of Columbia's criminal code.

In the past years, some states have started relaxing marijuana laws, like Colorado and California, which legalized its use for casual consumption.

Joe Biden Fulfilling Campaign Promise for Marijuana Reform and Pardon Prior Convictions

During the 2020 election campaign, Biden promised that he will decriminalize cannabis use and expunge prior convictions. With this announcement of pardoning those convicted or charged with simple possession, Biden is fulfilling part of that promise.

According to CNBC, the president has now instructed Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland to begin a review of how the drug will be classified under federal drug laws.

Under federal drug sentencing guidelines, marijuana is currently a Schedule 1 substance. This means it is under the same classification as heroin and LSD and treated more seriously than the highly-addictive fentanyl. Biden noted this fact and said, "It makes no sense."

A Department of Justice (DOJ) spokeswoman stated that the Office of the Pardon Attorney will take the lead on administering these pardons. A formal process will be implemented in the coming days, and individuals will be given a certificate of pardon. This also means that those imprisoned with simple possession of marijuana will have all the political and civil rights that were denied to them as felons restored.

Federal Legalization of Marijuana Faces Tough Battle and Needs Republican Support

Senate Democrats have already released a marijuana legalization proposal earlier this year. It seeks to lift the federal prohibition and allow states to determine how best to regulate marijuana. However, ABC News noted that the legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate, as it would need at least 10 Republican votes to pass, granting all Senate Democrats would vote for it.

While there have been known Republican supporters of Marijuana legalization, there is mainly a big pushback from the GOP, with Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson claiming that the pardons were done to score political points.

"We commend this important and necessary step to begin the process of repairing the harms of prohibition and look forward to working with Congress and the administration to develop policies that would ultimately solve the underlying problems in our outdated cannabis policies," said National Cannabis Industry Association CEO Aaron Smith. Another group, the Drug Policy Alliance, also welcomed the decision and said it was "incredibly long overdue."

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Written by: Rick Martin

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