To truly address the injustices caused by marijuana prohibition we must go beyond just rescheduling marijuana and completely deschedule it as well as pursue a comprehensive criminal justice reform.
By Weldon Angleos, Musician and Marijuana Reform Advocate
I am a person who has had their personal and professional life ruined by a marijuana conviction that was unjust. I applaud all steps taken to rectify the injustices caused to countless people due marijuana prohibition.
I was released on May 31, 2016, after a federal court granted me a reduction in sentence. In 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned me for my 13-year prison term. After a federal judge reduced my sentence on May 31, 2016, I was freed. In 2020 , I was pardoned by President Donald Trump .
Since I have seen first-hand the injustices that result from marijuana criminalization I applauded Joe Biden for his recent marijuana clemencies despite knowing there was much more to be done.
It is concerning to me that the Biden Administration may recommend marijuana be placed in Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. If this is the case, it would be a far cry from the reforms that President Biden promised and the meaningful reforms our nation desperately needs. In most cases, marijuana will be federally illegal as long as it is included in the CSA. We must ensure that no one goes to jail for marijuana in order to rectify the damage caused by decades of misguided policy. Prioritizing the release of those who already suffer the consequences of a unjust system is the best way to correct the harm.
While virtually everyone can agree that marijuana has no business being in Schedule I of the CSA–which means the federal government does not recognize any medical benefits from marijuana–rescheduling it fails to acknowledge the urgent need for comprehensive reform that addresses the disproportionate impact of marijuana prohibition on marginalized communities. The War on Drugs has caused a great deal of harm to communities and families in America. It has been unfairly targeting people of color.
President Biden has acknowledged that marijuana criminalization creates unnecessary barriers to education, employment and housing, as well as disparities between races in arrests and convictions. The rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III is not a serious attempt to address the issues of criminalization and social inequality, as well as systemic racism which have plagued society for too long.
In order to truly address the injustices caused by marijuana prohibition we must go beyond simply rescheduling marijuana and completely descheduling it, as well as pursue comprehensive reform of criminal justice.
In prisons all over the country, thousands of people, mostly from marginalized groups, are incarcerated on marijuana-related nonviolent charges. These harsh sentences have caused families to be split apart and are a disgrace to our justice system. Restorative justice is needed to correct the harm done by criminalization and prohibition.
The contrast between people who are incarcerated for marijuana crimes and those from wealthy backgrounds is particularly disheartening. Hunter Biden is the son of President Biden and a good example of this disparity.
Hunter Biden has, like others in privileged roles, admitted to using illegal substances and possessing illegal firearms (a charge for which I was sentenced to prison), but has not suffered the same consequences as people without these advantages. This stark contrast exposes our criminal justice system’s flaws, which disproportionately penalizes marginalized people and perpetuates inequality. It is for this reason that rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III without ending the pathways of future criminalization, which disproportionately impact disadvantaged people and without providing relief to those few thousand federal employees and tens and thousands of citizens who are treated as second-class citizens due to a marijuana conviction, is very troubling.
Biden had promised to decriminalize pot, but instead he supported rescheduling. The transformational change we need is not achieved by rescheduling marijuana, but rather descheduling.
It’s time to take bold action and show visionary leadership. We must also be committed to addressing the injustice caused by marijuana prohibition. I hope President Biden’s administration will realize the urgency of this matter and take advantage of this opportunity to deschedule cannabis.
It is no longer acceptable to take half measures. We must embrace justice, compassion and true equality.
Weldon Angleos is a criminal justice reform activist and the founder of The Weldon Project. This non-profit organisation works to secure relief for those who are in prison over cannabis. In 2020, he received a pardon from the president for his federal marijuana conviction after spending 13 years in prison.
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The article Biden must support fully descheduling marijuana to end unjust criminalization, former prisoner says (Op-Ed:) appeared first on Marijuana moment.
