The White House has promoted President Joe Biden’s mass marijuana pardons and scheduling review directive in a campaign called “Fight for Our Freedom”, which aims to “mobilize youth” ahead of the next election.
The administration’s factsheet on the campaign, published Thursday, includes a section titled “Addressing A Failed Approach To Marijuana” that focuses on the president’s cannabis reform efforts from last year.
It says: “The criminalization marijuana possession has destroyed too many lives for conduct that is now allowed in many states.” While whites, Blacks and Browns use marijuana at the same rate, Blacks and Browns are more likely than others to go to jail for it.
The youth outreach program will include a college visit by Vice President Kamala Harriman, which begins on Thursday at Hampton College. The vice president is scheduled to visit seven colleges in the United States over the course of the next month. It’s unclear, however, if she will be promoting the administration’s cannabis-reform actions on campus.
Young leaders are transforming the world on campuses, in their communities and all over our country.
It’s for this reason that I am eager to embark on my Fight For Our Freedoms College Tour. I want to hear from students and fight alongside them for our rights. pic.twitter.com/QnVeOLnyEo
Vice President Kamala Harris 13 September 2023 HTML0
The factsheet lists Biden’s steps taken last year to ease cannabis and to instruct agencies to review marijuana scheduling.
states that “the president announced a complete, unconditional and categorical forgiveness for prior federal or DC simple marijuana possession crimes.” This pardon removes barriers for housing, employment and education for thousands of people who have prior convictions for simple marijuana possession under federal or D.C. laws.
Biden’s clemency only affected about 6,500 people in Washington D.C. who had committed federal possession crimes and who violated Washington D.C. law. The U.S. In an analysis conducted last year, the U.S.
The pardon was not extended to a number of groups including immigrants, those charged with marijuana sales, and others. The president’s pardon will not release anyone from prison. There are currently 2,800 federal prisoners who have been convicted of marijuana offenses other than simple possession.
In the White House fact sheet for the youth campaign, which is now underway, the president encourages governors to follow in his footsteps and offer state-level relief to people with previous marijuana convictions.
He continued by saying that “this administration is guided primarily by science and facts,” and he asked that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Attorney General “begin an administrative review of how marijuana is classified in federal law and do it quickly.”
HHS completed its review of marijuana after 11 months. It has now recommended to the Drug Enforcement Administration that it move the drug from Schedule I into Schedule III. In a new report, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), said that a move like this would have “broad consequences for federal policy.”
Biden hasn’t commented personally on HHS’s rescheduling recommendations, but last month the White House Press Secretary said that President Obama has “always” supported legalizing marijuana for medical use.
Biden’s “always” supporting cannabis reform is not true. As a Senator, he supported several pieces of legislation which intensified the war on drugs.
The administration has used the president’s actions on cannabis reform to show that he is fulfilling his campaign promises and promoting progressive policies, even if they fall short of decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing it for medical purposes as he promised he would work towards.
Biden celebrated Juneteenth in June by releasing a proclamation promoting his mass marijuana pardon, and scheduling review directive.
In a factsheet released in advance of Biden’s State of the Union speech, the White House claimed that the pardons of the president could help lift social and economic obstacles.
In the same month, the President signed a separate executive order on equity in the White House as well as federal agencies . This included a mention of the previous marijuana pardons .
Biden declared April to be “Second Chance Month”. He also used the document to highlight his marijuana pardons, and the collateral effects of cannabis convictions.
In July, the White House Drug Czar stated that President Obama’s reform actions of last year were part an effort to develop a cohesive cannabis policy in a patchwork state legalization model.
The sponsor of the GOP Senate Marijuana banking Bill says that a vote could come’sometime in September’ as more members tout ‘progress’ in bipartisan talks
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