Biden Calls for Mass Pardons and Cannabis Scheduling Review

President Joe Biden has just announced a massive development regarding federal cannabis laws. In a proclamation made on Thursday, Biden stated that he will officially begin taking steps to review cannabis's scheduling in addition to granting mass pardons for federal cannabis convictions.

The president said he will be granting "a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to all current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who committed the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act," which will restore their "full political, civil, and other rights."

"As I often said during my campaign for President, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana," explains Biden in his statement. "Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit."

Alongside the mass pardons, Biden is also initiating an administrative review of federal cannabis scheduling. The review will be conducted by the Justice Department and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and could drastically change current policy on cannabis.

It's uncertain exactly how long the review is scheduled to take, but the president stressed that he would like for the agencies to process it "expeditiously." This review could potentially lead to cannabis being recommended for a less-strict classification, or it could be removed from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) altogether.

This is a huge development from President Biden, who has made little progress thus far to fulfill his campaign promises regarding cannabis reform, rescheduling, and expungements for low-level cannabis convictions.

"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," Biden continues. "Finally, even as federal and state regulation of marijuana changes, important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and under-age sales should stay in place,” he said. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs."

Sources:

1. https://www.marijuanamoment.net/biden-announces-mass-marijuana-pardons-and-calls-for-cannabis-scheduling-review/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_spotlight&utm_term=2022-10-10