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In a major victory for the the cannabis industry and movement to legalize, President Biden has commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals jailed for nonviolent drug offenses. This includes those serving disproportionate sentences for cannabis.
President Biden’s clemency, one of his final acts as his presidency draws to a close, signifies yet another step of his toward repairing the injustices caused by the War on Drugs.
Sarah Gersten, executive director and general counsel at Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit focused on cannabis criminal justice reform, hailed Biden’s milestone move. “This historic decision offers hope—not just for those freed today, but for all the individuals still incarcerated for cannabis and their families that have been impacted by the War on Drugs,” she said in a public statement. “President Biden’s actions remind us that meaningful change is possible when people work together and listen to what is needed to provide true justice through second chances.”
In October 2022, President Biden said he would be pardoning all people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law from 1992 to 2021. At that time, he also urged U.S. governors to take similar action for state offenses of civil possession of marijuana.
In June 2024, Biden’s call was heeded by Maryland Governor Wes Moore who signed an executive order that would erase more than 175,000 marijuana-related convictions.
Unfortunately, not all is rosy on the marijuana rescheduling front. Though progress was made during Biden’s administration, there have been setbacks. Earlier this week, DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney II canceled a hearing on rescheduling for next week. With the incoming Trump presidency and his choice to lead the DEA pulling out —and no replacement appointment in the offing—the future of rescheduling seems paused indefinitely.
“}]] In a major victory for the the cannabis industry, President Biden has commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals jailed for nonviolent drug offenses. Read More
