President Biden: All Prior Federal Convictions Of Simple Possession Of Marijuana Will Be Pardoned

On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced he would pardon all prior federal offenses for simple marijuana possession.

While on the campaign trail, Biden stated “[n]o one should be in jail because of marijuana. As president, I will decriminalize cannabis use and automatically expunge prior convictions.”

In a statement announcing today’s move, the president highlighted the social barriers for those with marijuana possession convictions: “There are thousands of people who were convicted for marijuana possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result,” he said. “My pardon will remove this burden on them.”

Last November, Biden withdrew from his plans to expunge convictions, to notable criticism. When asked about his campaign plans, Biden said “just turkeys” would be getting pardoned.

Today’s announcement signals a return to his earlier commitment, and he reiterated the racial disparities in enforcement. “[W]hile white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates,” he said in the recorded statement.

Senior administration officials estimate that the president’s pardon would affect over 6500 people impacted by the federal law.

In addition, the president said he is “urging all governors to do the same with regard to state offenses.”

When asked about an exact plan for working with governors to pardon state offenses, senior officials told ESSENCE that they have not laid out next steps, but are calling on state action as “a lot of convictions are driven at the state level.”

As part of his plan for marijuana reform, the president is also asking for his administration to review marijuana scheduling. Currently, the substance is classified with heroin and LSD and on a higher schedule than fentanyl and methamphetamine.

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