John,

With partisan politics and the upcoming elections increasingly pushing many important issues to the sidelines in Washington, it is more important than ever to demand additional executive actions on conviction relief for victims of the federal government's war on cannabis consumers.

For months, the scheduling review initiated by the President has dominated the conversation, but a move to Schedule 3 – though welcome and important – would not have any practical effect on criminal justice. And while the pardons issued in the last two years have helped thousands of people, they represent a small portion of those suffering under a federal criminal cannabis record and did not free a single marijuana prisoner.

Meanwhile, federal arrests continue.

The Biden White House has done more for cannabis policy reform than any other, but it must go further to help the people who have been harmed by federal criminalization.

Please urge the Administration to a) expand the pool of people eligible for pardons, b) take immediate action to grant clemency to those currently incarcerated for federal nonviolent marijuana offenses, and c) explicitly direct federal agencies to deprioritize low-level marijuana enforcement.

We need to ramp up the pressure before electoral politics overshadow this important justice issue, so take action now!

PS: If you have a federal conviction for cannabis possession and you think you may be eligible for a pardon, an online portal for those who wish to apply to receive a written pardon certificate is available from the Department of Justice.

PPS: Make sure you submit your comment to the DEA in support of removing marijuana from Schedule 1 by this Monday, July 22.

PPPS: Support NORML's ongoing efforts to end prohibition at the federal, state, and local levels.