Biden pardons thousands convicted of marijuana possession

President Biden is pardoning all people convicted of simple marijuana possession as the first step toward larger marijuana reform, he announced Thursday.
The move applies to thousands of people across the states and in Washington, D.C., The Associated Press reports. During his campaign, Biden pledged to decriminalize the drug, reports CNN.
On Thursday, the president urged state governors to follow his lead, as state convictions for marijuana possession vastly outnumber federal convictions, The New York Times reports. Biden also noted that people of color, namely Black and brown people, are incarcerated for marijuana possession at higher rates than their white counterparts, a statistic advocacy groups have encouraged the president to tackle, the Times continues.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The announcement comes just before the November midterms, where Democrats are hoping to hold their congressional majority. Many Democratic candidates have made marijuana a pressing issue.
Along with the pardons, Biden also announced plans to review marijuana's classification as a Schedule I drug; however, the federal government should keep "important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and underage sales of marijuana," he said.
"This is incredibly long overdue," said Kassandra Frederique of the Drug Policy Alliance. "There is no reason that people should be saddled with a criminal record ... for something that is already legal in 19 states and D.C. and decriminalized in 31 states."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Colleges are canceling affinity graduations amid DEI attacks but students are pressing on
In the Spotlight The commencement at Harvard University was in the news, but other colleges are also taking action
-
When did computer passwords become a thing?
The Explainer People have been racking their brains for good codes for longer than you might think
-
What to know before 'buying the dip'
the explainer Purchasing a stock once it has fallen in value can pay off — or cost you big
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
'Physicians today have a number of ways of categorizing pain'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media