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.
Grass is a gateway drug. Ask any meth addict...and fentanyl addict...and he/she will tell you that they started with grass.
....well, there goes the pothead vote to the marxists!
President Trump should pardon all tax “offenders” and stick it to the IRS.
POT US.
What about Hunter Biden’s cocaine suppliers? I guess they’ll still have to operate outside the law.
Hey, if Hunter Biden can get by smoking meth and using heroin, why should the peons be penalized for smokiing pot?
🤦♂️😁👍😜............................
Then imprison the rogue IRS agents without bail.
“Grass is a gateway drug. Ask any meth addict...and fentanyl addict...and he/she will tell you that they started with grass.”
Yea, any alcoholic probably started with Boones Farm.
First Step Act- 5 years ago right now. Trump’s giving as second chance, mostly to blacks.
Biden’s doing the same thing. Same with forgiving college loans. We can’t compete.
Bidenskyyyyy is a pig but at least he’s getting the people selling your kids drugs back out on the street.
I would bet that Biden will offer to cancel federal laws on cannabis as part of his 2024 election campaign.
Go forth and do it more, says Joe.
Any Freepers breathing a sigh of relief?
Nope, just gasps of horror...................
Whatever drug is done first is a gateway drug. It’s usually alcohol or cigs.
Mine was MD 20/20
Pot ok but cigarettes bad.
FIgures. He looks stoned all the time.
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