In a major turn of events for the White House administration, Joe Biden has pardoned thousands of federal marijuana offenders today.
The move from the POTUS has come after several months of advocates asking administration when they would uphold their campaign promises. The change comes after the USA saw one of its WNBA star is Brittney Griner arrested and imprisoned in Russia for cannabis possession. This move has also taken place after several months of press interviews where the White House has denied any knowledge of upcoming marijuana changes.
The move will pardon roughly 6500 people that were convicted between 1992 and 2021. The president has also urged governors to do the same thing within their states.
The President also called for Secretary Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland to review the process of how marijuana is scheduled in the United States. The POTUS did not elaborate on whether they would reschedule or move to another classification level in the scheduling system.
The move will possibly allow more recent offenders on a federal level that faced only those charges to receive FAFSA again, and to possibly join the military. The DOD has not released any public statement regarding the latter.
While the move is gaining praise from some advocates in the cannabis movement, not all are in unison.
Udi Ofer, a Princeton University professor and former deputy national political director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said simple possession of marijuana is a crime “almost entirely prosecuted by the states.” The federal government tends to more commonly prosecute marijuana trafficking crimes, he said to the NYT.
“This is an important political statement, it’s an important value statement, it’s progress but this is a drop in the ocean of injustice,” Mr. Ofer said
With the call for governors to follow suit, Texans will have a chance to show their opinion in Fort Worth on 10/8. Advocates from across the state plan to march from Burnett Park to the courthouse in a protest with civil disobedience against the current state of cannabis affairs in Texas. The Texas Marijuana March and Freedom Festival will be a chance for people to come together and show just how popular reform in Texas is desried. The event takes place from 12pm to 7pm and will feature guest speakers, live music, 30+ vendors, and food trucks.
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It’s a change. Too bad about the Senate.