Posted on 12/22/2023 7:45:14 AM PST by Red Badger
President Joe Biden took major action ahead of the holiday and pardoned all Americans arrested, prosecuted, or convicted on federal charges for marijuana use, following through on his 2020 campaign promise to expunge cannabis use offenses.
Biden signed a proclamation Friday that forgives U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents caught by law enforcement for possessing the drug and charged, going far beyond the sweeping actions he took last year for thousands of people convicted of possession.
The new action includes "additional offenses of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and D.C. law," the White House said in a statement issued Friday morning.
The Biden administration did not provide an estimate for how many people would be affected, but it noted that those convicted of selling or transporting marijuana were not included in the pardon.
The White House's hope in taking such broad action was to make it easier for people with criminal records to be able to obtain work and housing as a result of clearing their records of the felony offense.
"Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities," Biden said. "Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs."
People convicted of violating state marijuana laws are not eligible for this latest pardon, but Biden urged governors to take similar actions to absolve state charges.
Biden will take additional action Friday and commute the prison sentences of 11 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, including some mandatory life sentences, according to the White House. These commutations are the latest since he took similar action in April.
"Today, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is using his authority under the Constitution to uphold the values of redemption and rehabilitation by commuting the sentences of 11 fellow Americans who are serving unduly long sentences for non-violent drug offenses," the White House said in its announcement.
The Biden administration moved earlier this year to reclassify marijuana to a lower category on the Drug Enforcement Administration's scale. The Department of Health and Human Services proposed that the DEA move marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug.
As a Schedule I drug, marijuana is defined as a drug with no medical use and a high potential for abuse or addiction. Schedule II drugs may have some medically acceptable uses but still come with a high risk of abuse or addiction. Schedule III drugs contain smaller amounts of narcotic and non-narcotic drugs.
Exactly. This move is cynical as hell, because all the small time possession cases that people moan about are usually not at the federal level. This pardon obviously doesn’t impact those. Yet he is getting the PR boost like he just let helped out a bunch of average Joe potheads. At the cost of pardoning more serious offenders. I hate this administration.
Ripple… bottle wrapped in fancy brown paper bag, best served whilst standing on a cold North Philly night street corner in February…
You are giving pot way too much credit. Pot doesn’t make people slobs, but some pot users are slobs.
Just like drugs, votes are addictive as hell to a politician.
Biden just got a taste of the gateway votes from pot, his next step will be complete legalization before 2024.
They just don't have the stomach for that.
That would indeed require intestinal fortitude and the courage to act on a gut feeling.
I must admit that the de facto legalization of MJ has not turned out as I had hoped. When alcohol was legalized, people went from poisoning themselves with “wood-alky” to beer and wine coolers.
But Cannabis is a different matter entirely. Now that it is legal in many jurisdictions, or at least tolerated, growers are going indoor and using sun-lamps to manipulate the growing season so as to make their products more potent, and it is seriously effecting the mental health of teens.
I know because of what it has done to my son, and what the staff at the hospitals where he was committed have told me. This is getting to be an epidemic. Fortunately, my son has seen the light and is now staying away from the evil weed, though he now smokes tobacco more than he ought. He’s medicated, getting better all the time, and is showing the moxy needed to get well. All things considered, I’m proud of him. But other whipper-snappers are not so fortunate.
Some regulation of Cannabis growing and distribution ought to be imposed at the federal level, as it is for alcohol and tobacco.
...heard someone on Newsmax say a lot of these minor possession charges were actually reduced from more serious offences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interesting angle.
It’s the illegality that drives them to other stuff. “Hey,I’ve broken the law once...now I got a chance for cocaine”.
“Obtain work and housing.” Yeah, right. Betcha the right to vote Democrat is also there, too.
At least 95% of the federal defendants with a marijuana use conviction pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, or violated their parole.
In other words...
We have NO IDEA what crime these people actually committed!
Freaking insanity!
At least 95% of the federal defendants with a marijuana use conviction pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, or violated their parole.
In other words...
We have NO IDEA what crime these people actually committed!
With the mismash of state and federal conflict, I support this.
THC is now viewed as the healthy alternative to gen z. They in large want it legalized, and it pretty much already is.
And yet we allowed millions to be sacrificed.
I suggest you read the OT. God has limits to mercy. The US has well exceeded them.
God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Mt. 5:7)
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. (Psalm 85:5)
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (Psalm 145:9)
Praise the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever; (Psalm 136:1)
Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment. (Joel 2:12-13)
The LORD’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is not spent; They are renewed each morning— great is your faithfulness! …For the Lord does not reject forever; Though he brings grief, he takes pity, according to the abundance of his mercy… (Lamentations 3:22-23, 31-32)
Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance, Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy (Micah 7:18)
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing (1 John 1:9)
Amen! Amen! Praise God! Praise be to Jesus Christ!
Constitution says he can pardon individuals.
“Dave’s not here, Man!”
What a POS this _resident is.
But, we knew that going in. *SPIT*
The White House's hope in taking such broad action was to make it easier for people with criminal records to be able to obtain work and housing as a result of clearing their records of the felony offense.
Most people probably think of “simple possession and use” as a misdemeanor level offense; however, he’s pardoning people convicted of felonies.
And he can’t have reviewed all these cases to see if any actually deserves a pardon. How does he know if any of them are “rehabilitated”?
And why aren’t they releasing the number of felons they’re putting back on the street?
Has the United States repented?
Has it turned it’s face back to God?
Go outside. What ANY recent show.
We have not. We are a stink to God, and our culture is damning many to hell.
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