President Joe Biden will pardon all prior federal offenses of simple possession of marijuana, he announced on Thursday.
The president is also calling on governors to pardon state marijuana offenses. He will also ask the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the attorney general to review how the drug is scheduled under current federal law.
“Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in a statement. “And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
