Spencer Finley – Staff Writer

SJF5814@psu.edu

On Tuesday, October 6, President Biden announced that he would be issuing pardons for people convicted of simple marijuana possession charges under federal law between 1995 and 2022. An announcement that Biden posted on Twitter stated that he was “pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession.” Biden went on to describe many of the hardships that people convicted under this law have faced, saying that “There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden.” 

There are currently about 6500 inmates in federal prison who would be eligible for a pardon; however, the vast majority of these cases fall under the purview of various state governments. However, President Biden called on state governors to follow in his footsteps and pardon people convicted for simple possession of marijuana, saying that “I’m calling on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses. 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 also announced another major potential reform to marijuana policy- downgrading marijuana from being a Schedule 1 drug. Biden said that he was ordering the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Beccarra, and Attorney General Merrick Garland to begin investigations into reclassifying marijuana, saying that “We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin – and more serious than fentanyl.” He continued that “It makes no sense. I’m asking @SecBecerra and the Attorney General to initiate the process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.”

Despite the pardons for possession of marijuana charges, President Biden will not be enacting a similar policy for people convicted of selling marijuana. He said that “I’d also like to note that as federal and state regulations change, we still need important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and underage sales of marijuana.”