Yesterday, President Biden pardoned everyone who has been convicted of marijuana possession under federal law since it was made illegal in the 1970s.
- The pardons also apply to people convicted of possession in Washington, D.C. (as well airports and federal parks).
- All told, upwards of 10,000 Americans could have their names cleared — making it easier to apply for jobs, housing, college, and various federal benefits.
- The Biden administration will also expedite a decision on whether marijuana should no longer be classified among the most dangerous drugs, such as heroin.
- A 2021 Gallup poll shows that two out of three Americans think using marijuana should be legal.
- A 2021 Pew Research Center poll shows that two out of three Americans favor releasing people from prison who were convicted solely of marijuana-related offenses.
- Black and white people use marijuana at similar rates, but — according to an ACLU analysis of arrest data from 2010 to 2018 — Blacks are more than three times as likely to be arrested for possession than whites.
Noting that marijuana has already been legalized in many states, President Biden said:
“Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives. That’s before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs.”
President Biden also called on governors to pardon people convicted of possession under state laws — a far greater number of people than those convicted under federal law.
Tell the governors of all 50 states:
Putting people in prison for simple marijuana possession has not helped anyone or made America safer. Instead, it has inflicted needless suffering on far too many people — especially people of color — with lasting consequences for their lives and their communities. If you have not already done so, pardon everyone in your state who has been convicted of simple marijuana possession.
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Thanks for taking action.
For justice,
- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen
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