President Joe Biden announced on Thursday, October 6, that he would pardon all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession, calling on governors across the US to do the same. “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.
The pardon, which stands to affect more than 5,000 people previously convicted solely of marijuana possession in federal court in the District of Columbia, represents a relatively bold step forward for the often linked drug policy and decarceration movements. “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.”
Biden added that he would direct Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland to begin reviewing how marijuana is classified under federal drug laws, noting that the current classification of marijuana as a schedule one substance under federal drug sentencing guidelines (along with heroin and LSD) “makes no sense.”
While the Biden administration has been slow to embrace more liberal forms of drug policy, including creating or incentivizing existing harm reduction initiatives, this pardon—which would reduce the disparity in marijuana-related arrests between Black and white Americans, despite both groups using marijuana at similar rates—marks a definitive move to the left, one that may well appeal to progressive voters.
This post was originally published on Vogue.
