Biden Will Pardon All Federal Marijuana Possession Convictions

The White House says Biden's decision to pardon people who have been convicted of marijuana possession in federal court could apply to thousands of people.

Biden said in a statement that the pardons will be available for simple marijuana possession offenses.

Prior convictions for marijuana offenses have caused needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities, according to the president.

Important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and under-age sales should stay in place, even though the pardons will not apply to possession of other drugs.

The president doesn't have the power to issue state pardons himself, but Biden pushed governors to pardon anyone convicted of marijuana possession.

He directed the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services to reexamine marijuana's status as a Schedule I drug, which means it has a high potential for abuse and no recognized medical applications.

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Marijuana can be used for medical purposes if it is moved to a less severe schedule. The HHS is required to assess the drug's impact on public health before the Attorney General or Drug Enforcement Agency can change it.

Biden promised to expunge prior cannabis use convictions. The president has had differing opinions on marijuana. He supports decriminalizing the drug but doesn't think it's a good idea to make it legal for recreational use nationwide. Several White House staffers were pushed out of their jobs last year because they admitted to using marijuana. Over the last 10 years, the legal regime for marijuana has changed. More than a dozen states have legalized the drug and set up regulated systems for its sale, and the Department of Justice has largely avoided interfering with these new state- regulated marketplaces even though possession or sale of the drug remains illegal under federal law.

Biden said Thursday that thousands of people have federal convictions for marijuana possession. It is not uncommon for presidents to grant pardons or commute sentences for relatively minor drug offenses, but Biden's pardons could be more sweeping than most of his predecessors'.