Washington, D.C. As his administration takes a significant step toward decriminalising the substance and correcting charging practises that disproportionately affect people of colour, President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans who were found guilty of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law.
Additionally included by Biden’s action are thousands of people indicted in the District of Columbia.
The great majority of marijuana possession prosecutions involve state marijuana violations, thus he is also urging governors to grant comparable pardons to those who have been found guilty of these offences.
The decision, according to Biden, “reflects his conviction that no one should be in jail solely for using or carrying 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.
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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.
The pardon excludes convictions for other drug possession or marijuana production or possession offences with the intent to distribute. Additionally, Biden is refusing to pardon foreign nationals who were detained while lawfully present in the country.
The Department of Justice is attempting to develop a procedure so that persons who are eligible for Biden’s pardon can obtain a certificate of pardon, which they can present as necessary to other parties, including potential employers.
The Justice Department stated in a statement that it will quickly implement the President’s proclamation, which pardons those who engaged in simple possession of marijuana and restores those people’s civil, political, and other rights. The Office of the Pardon Attorney will start establishing a procedure to issue certificates of pardon to affected individuals in the upcoming days.
Additionally, Biden is giving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S.
A review of marijuana’s federal schedules will be conducted by the S. attorney general. Criminal sanctions for possession would be lessened or even eliminated if the drug were rescheduled. Along with heroin and LSD, marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule I drug, but it is listed before fentanyl and methamphetamine. A timetable for the review was not established by the White House.
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 is headed in the same direction as other major cities like New York, which has been working for years to decriminalise low-level marijuana arrests.
But there is a significant division in the country, as some police departments continue to hold the view that drug use encourages more serious crimes and that failing to prosecute minor infractions only serves to empower offenders.
The executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, Kassandra Frederique, said her organisation was “thrilled” with Biden’s announcement, which was applauded by advocacy groups.
This has been long overdue, Frederique stated.
There is no justification for criminalising conduct that is presently allowed in 19 states and Washington, D.C., and decriminalised in 31 states, which would impede people from gaining work, housing, and a host of other opportunities.
Additionally, as Pennsylvania Lt. Governor, the Democratic contender in one of their party’s most important Senate contests, the action satisfies one of her key aims.
Biden has been under constant pressure from John Fetterman to act, including last month when they met in Pittsburgh.
In a statement, Fetterman claimed responsibility for putting the matter on Biden’s agenda and applauded the choice, calling it “a tremendous step towards justice.”
“Improving people’s lives is exactly what our work should be about, and President Biden’s move is exactly that.
I applaud the president for taking this important, required, and moral action to remedy a wrong and enhance the lives of millions of Americans,” he stated.
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Colleen Long of AP contributed.
Biden forgives thousands of people for “simple marijuana possession”
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