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John, |
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Following through on a longstanding campaign promise, the Biden Administration on Friday began the process of issuing pardon certificates to those with low-level, federal marijuana possession convictions.
The opening of the Presidential pardon portal is the result of more than two years of advocacy on the part of NORML and other groups who urged the Administration to provide legal relief to those with federal marijuana-related convictions. |
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On multiple occasions, NORML staff met with White House representatives urging them to take action. Advocates like you also answered NORML’s calls-to-action and sent thousands of communications to the White House. Following the President’s October pardon proclamation, NORML maintained pressure on the Administration to ensure that it moved expeditiously to provide those eligible for pardon relief the opportunity to obtain written pardon certificates. These certificates serve as proof that one’s conviction has been pardoned under the terms of the President’s directive.
Last month, in a widely circulated op-ed in The Hill, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano declared: “Many of those eligible for forgiveness have suffered numerous lost opportunities over the years because of a lingering conviction for behavior that most Americans no longer believe should be a crime. They should not have to continue to wait for relief any longer.”
Now, they no longer have to.
Under this action, between 6,500 and 20,000 Americans will be able to apply for written proof that their federal convictions have been pardoned, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission and the Office of the Pardon Attorney. This marks the first time that a US President has ever used the power of the executive to provide legal relief to the cannabis community.
NORML would like to thank all of you who helped us achieve this important victory. The Biden Administration’s foray into the arena of marijuana policy reform legitimizes legalization as an issue worthy of consideration -- and action -- by those at the highest levels of government. Further, it is a recognition, by the President of the United States no less, that America's nearly 100-year experiment with cannabis criminalization has been an abject failure.
Please help us celebrate this victory and continue to do this important work by supporting NORML today. Our efforts are not funded by corporate interests and our focus remains on representing cannabis consumers, not Big Business. Together we are making a difference. |
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