President Joe Biden announced he is issuing pardons to anyone convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law. The pardons also cover thousands convicted of the crime in the District of Columbia.
“There are thousands of people who are convicted for marijuana possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result of that conviction,” President Biden said in a video posted to the White House’s Twitter page Thursday. “My pardon will remove this burden on them.”
While the Biden administration’s pardon will affect the records of thousands of people, not one person will be released from federal prison, according to the White House. 150 people are currently in federal prison for simple possession of marijuana, but they all have other offenses that would keep them behind bars. With the announcement Thursday came a call for governors to issue similar pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses. If governors follow suit, then prisoners in local jails and state prisons would be released.
“I’m asking the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to initiate a process to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law,” Biden said. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
The pardon does not cover convictions for possession of other drugs, or for charges relating to producing or possessing marijuana with an intent to distribute. Biden is also not pardoning non-citizens who were in the U.S. without legal status at the time of their arrest. The Department of Justice is also working to devise a process for those covered by Biden’s pardon to receive a certificate of pardon, which they can show to potential employers and others as needed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.