President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he will sign a proclamation to pardon certain marijuana offenses. This follows his broader action last year that pardoned thousands of individuals who had been convicted of possession of marijuana under federal law. The new pardons will target “additional offenses of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and D.C. law.”
A White House official stated that the proclamation will include offenses related to “use and possession on certain Federal lands,” provisions that were not covered in the 2020 proclamation. However, it is not immediately clear how many people will be affected by the pardons.
“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in the statement. He added that his aim is to “right these wrongs” and ensure that “too many lives have not been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana.”
Biden also called on governors to take similar actions with state marijuana-related offenses, contending that no one should be imprisoned “solely due to the use or possession of marijuana.” According to the results from the attached files, most states already allow marijuana use in some form, whether recreationally or for medical purposes.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommended in August that the Drug Enforcement Administration ease marijuana restrictions by moving it to a Schedule III drug, which would entail a significant change to federal drug policy. Currently, the DEA classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, alongside drugs such as heroin and LSD.
The move to pardon marijuana offenses aligns with Biden’s broader criminal justice reform agenda. However, some activists are critical of the pace and scope of his cannabis-related policy proposals, arguing that more extensive reforms, such as comprehensive federal marijuana legalization, are necessary to fully address the harms caused by the war on drugs.