Joe Biden Announces Pardons For Those Federally Convicted For Marijuana Possession
deadline.comJoe Biden said that he is pardoning those convicted for prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession and is urging state governors to do the same. “There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing or educational opportunities as a result,” Biden said in a statement, “My pardon will remove this burden.” He said that it made “no sense” for marijuana to be classified at the same level as an illicit drug as heroin, that that he is asking that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department review how it is scheduled under federal law. “Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives — for conduct that is legal in many states.
That’s before you address the clear disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right those wrongs.” More to come.
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