President Biden has issued a pardon for all citizens and legal permanent residents incarcerated for simple marijuana possession or usage on federal land. The announcement expands on a similar proclamation issued in October 2022 that pardoned those charged with simple possession.
No people are serving a sentence for usage or possession of marijuana in federal possession. There are people at the state level who remain behind bars for these ‘crimes,’ and the White House hopes governors will use their pardon power to allow for their release.
Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either. That’s why I continue to urge Governors to do the same with regard to state offenses and applaud those who have since taken action.
However, today’s pardon will help those denied public assistance or faced discrimination when finding work because of their conviction. “Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities, said President Biden while adding that “too many lives have been upended because of [the country’s failed approach to marijuana.”
The White House also announced that eleven people would have their sentences commuted, all of whom “are serving unduly long. Darryl Allen Winkfield, one of the eleven people who the pardon will impact, will have…
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