President Biden pardons thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession, orders review of federal pot laws
- President Joe Biden pardoned all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession.
- The pardons also apply to anyone in the District of Columbia convicted of simple possession of marijuana.
- Biden has also instructed Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland to begin reviewing how marijuana is classified under federal drug laws.
WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden pardoned thousands of individuals convicted of possessing marijuana, sending pot stocks soaring Thursday afternoon on the news.
The pardons apply only to federal offenders as well as those convicted in the District of Columbia, but Biden called on governors across the country to follow suit.
“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,” Biden said in a statement.
More than 6,500 individuals with prior convictions for simple marijuana possession were impacted by the pardons, said the official, and thousands more through pardons under D.C. law.
“There are thousands of people who were convicted for marijuana possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result,” Biden said. “My pardon will remove this burden on them.”
In addition to the pardons, Biden said he had instructed 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 federal government currently classifies marijuana as a “schedule one” substance, the same as heroin and LSD – and more serious than fentanyl,” said Biden. “It makes no sense.”
Biden Pardons Thousands of People Convicted of Marijuana Possession Under Federal Law
The president urged governors to follow his lead for people convicted on state charges of possession.
Good for Biden pardoning those people. I doubt they'll get around to reclassifying it though.
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I appears that President Biden has found a way to get more potential Democrat voters just before the 2022 Midterm Election. I wonder if he realizing that the majority of those convicted of Federal marijuana charges were convicted for selling, not using. Just putting a bunch of potential gang members back on the streets for our over worked police departments to contend with.
Biden Pardons Thousands With Federal Convictions For Drug Crimes
Although i agree with Biden on the pardons you have to keep in mind that a lot of those convictions he is talking about were crimes that were pleaded down to a lesser crime .
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