As his administration takes a significant step toward decriminalising the substance and addressing charging practises that unfairly affect people of colour, US President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans who were found guilty of “simple possession” of cannabis.
Additionally included by Biden’s action are thousands of people indicted in the District of Columbia.
He is urging governors to grant comparable pardons to those who have been convicted of state-level marijuana offences, which make up the vast bulk of marijuana possession cases.
The decision, according to Biden, represents his belief that “no one should be in jail solely for using or possessing marijuana,” he said in a statement.
He continued, “Our misguided approach to marijuana has upended too many lives. “It’s time to make these mistakes right.
“No one is currently detained in a federal facility for “simple possession” of the drug, according to the White House, but the pardon may make it easier for thousands of people to rent an apartment or land a job.
There are thousands of people who have previous Federal marijuana possession convictions, and as a result, they might not be able to find work, housing, or educational prospects, he said. “My effort will lessen the side effects that result from these convictions.
Additionally, Biden has instructed the US attorney general and the secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate the federal law’s scheduling of marijuana. Criminal sanctions for possession would be lessened or even eliminated if the drug were rescheduled.
But Biden asserted that he thinks restrictions on trafficking, marketing, and sales to minors should be kept even if the federal government and several states relax their marijuana laws.
With Biden’s action, the federal government now stands on par with other major cities like New York, which has been working for years to decriminalise low-level marijuana arrests. However, there is a significant difference in the country as some police agencies continue to believe that the drug encourages more serious crimes and that failing to prosecute low-level offences empowers offenders.
Biden forgives thousands of people for “simple possession” of marijuana
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