President Joe Biden announced on Friday that thousands of people convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana in Washington D.C. and on federal land would be eligible for pardons, as he continues to push for reform of the criminal justice system and marijuana laws.
Biden is also granting clemency to 11 people serving “disproportionately long” sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, who he said would receive significantly shorter sentences if they were convicted today. No federal prisoners will be eligible for release as a result of Friday’s action, the Associated Press noted.
“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in a statement published by the White House on Friday. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
While marijuana is illegal federally, the 50 states and D.C. have different laws on medical or recreational use. The U.S. Congressional Research Service has noted that a “significant divide has developed between federal and state regulation,” creating a legal labyrinth across the U.S.
Thirty-eight states and D.C. now have comprehensive medical marijuana programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Twenty-four states and D.C. have legalized adult recreational use.
Kentucky’s governor signed a law this year legalizing medical…
