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Vice President Harris, Colorado’s Governor and Other Top Officials Applaud Biden’s Expanded Marijuana pardon

Top officials, such as Vice President Kamala Harri, have praised President Joe Biden for his newly expanded marijuana pardon. Supporters of the move cheered the clemency decision, calling it a step in the correct direction.

On Friday, the president announced a new mass pardon that covers those who have committed federal cannabis possession crimes. also provides relief to those who possess marijuana on federal property for the first. The president’s announcement comes a little over a year after Biden granted an first mass cannabis pardon, and ordered an administrative review of marijuana scheduling.

The new proclamation, while criticised by some, is seen as an important, if small, step in the right direction to repair the harms caused by criminalization.

In a press release following the announcement, the vice president stated that the pardons would “help thousands of people find jobs, buy homes, and get an educational degree.” “President Biden has been clear that we must continue to reform our criminal justice system and change the nation’s attitude towards marijuana.”

Harris joined Biden to call on governors to implement cannabis-related laws at the state level.

She said, “President Biden will work with me to address historical inequities in federal drug policies and sentencing to ensure that our justice system lives up to its title.”


Other officials, legislators, advocates, and others have reacted to the President’s pardon.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colorado Gov.

Polis, who during his tenure as Governor has granted thousands of pardons for cannabis offenses at the state level, said:

“This long overdue measure will help people convicted of crimes that are no longer crimes get jobs, housing and more,” said. This is a significant step in breaking down barriers to help more people and our economic thrive.

Congressional Black Caucus

In a Friday joint statement, the CBC stated that it “applauds the President Biden’s proclamation of pardoning marijuana offenses including the use on Federal Lands, which has disproportionately incarcerated Black Americans and disrupted their lives by creating barriers to education, employment and housing.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA)

The senator who has been a long-time advocate of marijuana legalization wrote on Friday how personally he urged the President to support comprehensive reform, before he entered Congress. He said, “This Christmas as a senator, thank you.”

Sen. Tina Smith, D-MN

The senator stated that “nobody’s life shouldn’t be destroyed because of a low-level cannabis offence.” “It is ridiculous that Republicans continue to block marijuana legalization.” But in the interim, it’s a good step from the President.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, (D-NY).

Jeffries stated that “the failed War on Drugs started more than 50 year ago, when Richard Nixon declared drugs abuse the number one public enemy.” At the time, approximately 300,000 Americans were incarcerated. There are about 1.8 million people in prison today, and the majority of them are Black or Latino.

He said: “Today, the President Biden has taken additional steps to undo the legacy of the failed War on Drugs. He has commutated the sentences of several people who have committed non-violent drug crimes and pardoned additional Americans who were convicted of simple marijuana possession and use.”

The minority leader said that he commended Biden for “admitting that more needs to done to correct these historic wrongs, by encouraging Governors to follow administration’s example at the state-level.”

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)

Blumenauer, a co-chair and founding member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, who will retire next year, after advocating reforms in the House for nearly three decades, said that he is “hopeful” that the welcome news today won’t be President Biden’s last act in promoting justice and rectifying the ongoing harms caused by the failed war against drugs.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA)

The congressman thanked President Obama, saying that it was “time to end outdated war on drug and push for reform.”

Rep. Shontel B. Brown (D-OH).

The congresswoman stated that “pardoning those who have been convicted for marijuana charges which are unnecessarily severe is the right thing.” “Historically, people of color have suffered disproportionately from these types of convictions.” I applaud President Biden for taking action.”

Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA)

The congressman stated that he has “long championed pardons for those who serve sentences for possession of marijuana”, adding that “misdemeanors” can lead to restrictions on people’s ability to access education aid, housing assistance and occupational licensing.

He praised Biden’s pardon for delivering justice to Black Americans, who were disproportionately affected by the cannabis issue.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)

The clemency decision was met with Coleman’s reaction: “The War on Drugs failed to stop the damage drugs can cause and has burdened many millions of people with unnecessary prison sentences and the stigma associated with a criminal history.”

She said that the bill she previously sponsored, to decriminalize currently illegal drugs, would “rethink our approach in helping people who are struggling with addiction”.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO)

“We are pleased to hear that [Biden]pardoned thousands of people who were convicted for marijuana offenses,” said the congresswoman. “It is time to fully deschedule and legalize marijuana. We should also expunge criminal records, promote equality in the cannabis industry and end the War on Drugs.”

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)

Titus stated that “no one should be subjected to disproportionately lengthy sentences or obstacles to employment because of minor marijuana charges.” “This is a significant step in modernizing our criminal-justice system.”

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)

Wilson stated that the pardoned will be able to take advantage of educational and employment opportunities.

California Sen. Scott Wiener (D)

The California Senator, who has been a champion of drug policy reform, including psychedelics and harm reduction legislation (including psychedelics’ legalization), called the President’s pardon announcement “huge.”

He said: “This will be a boon to so many people who have had their lives upended by the misguided war on drugs over the years.” “Thank you, Mr. President.”

NORML

Paul Armentano , Deputy Director of NORML, said that “millions of Americans are burdened by the stigma and shame of a previous conviction for a behavior which the majority of voters do not believe should be a criminal offense.” Our sense of justice, and our principles of equity demand that public officials and courts act quickly to correct the past wrongs caused by cannabis prohibition and criminalization.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana

Kevin Sabet is the president of SAM, a prohibitionist group. He said that the pardon announcement shows that “criminal reform can be achieved without commercializing marijuana.” However, he added that it was unfortunate that the president did not use the occasion to discuss “how dangerous cannabis is.”

Last Prisoner Project (LPP)

The cannabis reform group stated, that although the president’s action on clemency is “progress for people eligible for relief,” these pardons or commutations will not be enough to achieve real cannabis justice.

LPP stated that “pardons don’t remove the unnecessary barriers to employment and housing opportunities, or educational opportunities, which the President has acknowledged to his credit,” and urged people to write to Congress and the White House about the need for a more comprehensive reform.

Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation

Shanita Penny of CPEAR called the clemency decision “positive news for a lot of people,” but noted that “there are countless nonviolent cannabis offenders still incarcerated.”

She said that in a country with 100 million people having access to legal cannabis markets, a federal framework removing barriers to housing, employment and education for those affected by the cannabis prohibition was necessary.

Color of Change

The progressive organization stated that although “many” celebrate the president’s clemency, “we know this is not enough.” And “the administration can and should go further,” such as by completely descheduling cannabis.

stated that “doing so would result in the end of the federal prohibition against cannabis and provide a significant economic boon to the industry.” It should also include economic investments and restoration of the communities that have been harmed by an unjust war.

“These charges have been used in an unnecessary way to rip away millions of Blacks from their communities. While marijuana has been legalized for white and rich people, they are also the primary financial beneficiaries of the practices that place others behind bars. The President Biden has it right: “Too many lives were upended by our failed approach.” Too much money was spent and too much harm and pain caused because we did not take comprehensive action. We are looking forward to seeing today’s families reunited, and we will continue to fight for further reunification.”

Cannabis Freedom Alliance

Jeremiah Mosteller is the executive director of CFA, and also a policy director for Americans for Prosperity. He said the president’s decision was “a welcomed next step towards addressing the overcriminalization cannabis.”

He said, “There is still more to do and President Biden must work with Congress in order to de-schedule cannabis.”

The president’s expanded pardon is coming at a time when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in response to a review initiated by Biden last year, is considering a Department of Health and Human Services recommendation to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III.

The president has repeatedly cited his cannabis clemency as an example of him fulfilling campaign promises, though he has often misrepresented the extent of the clemency. He claimed that people had been released from prison with their criminal records completely expunged.

The pardon is a formal forgiveness of the offense, and does not involve sealing records.

The president has pledged to implement a more comprehensive reform, including federal legalization of medical cannabis and decriminalizing marijuana.

It would not be legalized if DEA accepts HHS’ recommendation to move marijuana into Schedule III. It would, however, have an impact in other areas, such as by removing the widely-criticized research barriers, and allowing state licensed cannabis businesses to claim federal tax deductions that they are currently prohibited from taking under an Internal Revenue Service code (IRS), known as 280E.

The president refused to endorse the reform despite the fact that support for legalization is at record levels, particularly among Democrats. The White House stated that “nothing had changed” in Biden’s position after Ohio became the 24th State to legalize marijuana last month.


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Photo by Mike Latimer.

The post Vice-President Harris, Colorado Governor and Other Top Officials Applaud Biden’s Expanded Marijuana Pardon first appeared on Marijuana Moment.

Kyle Jaeger
Author: Kyle Jaeger

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