Biden Pardons Thousands for Marijuana  10/07 06:16

   President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of "simple 
possession" of marijuana under federal law, as his administration takes a 
dramatic step toward decriminalizing the drug and addressing charging practices 
that disproportionately impact people of color.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans 
convicted of "simple possession" of marijuana under federal law, as his 
administration takes a dramatic step toward decriminalizing the drug and 
addressing charging practices that disproportionately impact people of color.

   Biden's move also covers thousands convicted of the crime in the District of 
Columbia. He is also calling on governors to issue similar pardons for those 
convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of 
marijuana possession cases.

   Biden, in a statement, said the move reflects his position that "no one 
should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana."

   "Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to 
marijuana," he added. "It's time that we right these wrongs."

   According to the White House, no one is currently in federal prison solely 
for "simple possession" of the drug, but the pardon could help thousands 
overcome obstacles to renting a home or finding a job.

   "There are thousands of people who have prior Federal convictions for 
marijuana possession, who may be denied employment, housing, or educational 
opportunities as a result," he said. "My action will help relieve the 
collateral consequences arising from these convictions."

   The pardon does not cover convictions for possession of other drugs, or for 
charges relating to producing or possessing marijuana with an intent to 
distribute. Biden is also not pardoning non-citizens who were in the U.S. 
without legal status at the time of their arrest.

   The announcement marks Biden's reckoning with the impact of 1994 crime 
legislation, which he supported, that increased arrest and incarceration rates 
for drug crimes, particularly for Black and Latino people.

   The Department of Justice is working to devise a process for those covered 
by Biden's pardon to receive a certificate of pardon, which they can show to 
potential employers and others as needed.

   "The Justice Department will expeditiously administer the President's 
proclamation, which pardons individuals who engaged in simple possession of 
marijuana, restoring political, civil, and other rights to those convicted of 
that offense," the department said in a statement. "In coming days, the Office 
of the Pardon Attorney will begin implementing a process to provide impacted 
individuals with certificates of pardon."

   Biden is also directing the secretary of Health and Human Services and the 
U.S. attorney general to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. 
Rescheduling the drug would reduce or potentially eliminate criminal penalties 
for possession. Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, 
alongside heroin and LSD, but ahead of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The White 
House did not set a timeline for the review.

   But Biden said he believes that as the federal government and many states 
ease marijuana laws, they should maintain limitations on trafficking, marketing 
and underage sales.

   The move by Biden puts the federal government on course with other big 
cities like New York that have been moving toward decriminalizing low-level 
marijuana arrests for years. But there's a big divide in the nation as some 
police departments still believe the drug leads to more serious crime and 
ignoring low-level offenses emboldens criminals.

   Advocacy groups praised Biden's announcement, with Kassandra Frederique, the 
executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, saying the organization was 
"thrilled."

   "This is incredibly long overdue," said Frederique. "There is no reason that 
people should be saddled with a criminal record -- preventing them from 
obtaining employment, housing, and countless other opportunities -- for 
something that is already legal in 19 states and D.C. and decriminalized in 31 
states."

   It remains to be seen whether governors follow Biden's lead. Erik Altieri, 
executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana 
Laws, said extending the action to states could help millions of Americans.

   "Since 1965, nearly 29 million Americans have been arrested for 
marijuana-related violations -- for activities that the majority of voters no 
longer believe ought to be a crime," he said.

   Chris Goldstein, 46, was arrested after smoking half a joint during a 
marijuana legalization protest at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 2013. He 
paid a $3,000 fine and spent two years on probation.

   "As someone who voted for President Biden, I've been expecting this from the 
first day he came into office," Goldstein said. "This was a campaign promise."

   As a writer and activist who has been public about his conviction, he's not 
sure that his criminal record was an obstacle to him getting a job, but he 
knows that it shows up in his background checks. And he's shied away from 
visiting other countries because convictions can complicate international 
travel.

   "I'm thrilled, and everyone like me is going to be just as thrilled," he 
said.

   Rev. Al Sharpton, the president of the National Action Network, said Biden's 
"righteous action today will give countless Americans their lives back." But he 
added, "The United States will never justly legalize marijuana until it reckons 
with the outdated policies that equated thousands of young Black men with 
hardened drug pushers."

   The move also fulfills one of the top priorities of the Democratic nominee 
in one of their party's most critical Senate races, as Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. 
John Fetterman has repeatedly pressed Biden to take the step, including last 
month when they met in Pittsburgh.

   Fetterman, in a statement, took credit for elevating the issue on Biden's 
agenda and praised the decision, calling it "a massive step towards justice."

   "This action from President Biden is exactly what this work should be about: 
improving people's lives. I commend the president for taking this significant, 
necessary, and just step to right a wrong and better the lives of millions of 
Americans," he said.