President Joe Biden announced Thursday that thousands of people will be pardoned for their federal convictions of possessing marijuana and for that I say: Finally.
The pardons will clear those convicted of federal charges for simple possession since it became a crime in the ’70s, according to an Oct. 6 New York Times article.
While that decision is long-overdue, it is a step in the right direction.
About 6,500 people, who were convicted between 1992-2021, will be pardoned according to the New York Times article.
While the number is relatively small, it's the thought that counts. Helping the people who have been charged with simple possession is the first of many steps to lead towards legalization.
Black Americans will be the most affected by this as they are more than four times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white Americans, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
The consequences of being booked for possessing a small amount of marijuana are brutal and deeply affect those convicted. Going through background checks will currently show your employer the marijuana conviction, which could obviously hinder your chances of landing that job. Same goes with finding a place to live, a car to drive, even colleges will see the conviction.
Of the 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001-10, 88% were for simply having marijuana, according to a report focused on racially targeted marijuana arrests by American Civil Liberties Union.
At the federal level, those who will be pardoned should have a much easier time getting a job, reaping federal benefits, renting out a place to live and applying for college.
In Biden’s announcement of the pardons, he also addressed the elephant in the room: how highly the government ranks marijuana as a drug.
Marijuana is ranked as a Schedule I drug, which is defined as “drugs or substances that are not currently accepted for medical use and high potential abuse,” the same category as heroin and LSD. For reference, Schedule II, the rank where less harmful drugs are supposed to be, contains cocaine and meth, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration
Would you rather have someone ask if you want to go smoke some weed, or shoot some heroin? The two shouldn’t be classified together.
Biden additionally wants to review the classification of marijuana, seeing if it can be placed in a different schedule instead, writing in an Oct. 6 Twitter post, “We must classify marijuana at the same level of heroin – and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense.”
This would be a great step to establish legalization across the country, allowing for people over the age of 21 to pack their bowls without fear and without a medical prescription.
This is not the only step Biden has to take.
Presidents do not have the power to pardon charges at the state or local level. However, Biden’s current action does shine a light for communities to have more confidence in their lifestyle.
Biden's call to pardon simple marijuana convictions across the country has already been underway, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis have already issued pardons for simple possession of marijuana convictions in their states.
Momentum will continue to build once it sees a spark, so these beginning steps in the right direction will be seen nationwide.
This proclamation by Biden will formally restore political, civil and other rights to the individuals who were denied to them as felons for their simple possession of marijuana, according to an Oct. 6 CNBC article.
While the number may be relatively low for individuals granted these pardons, the massive numbers of individuals convicted at the state and local level in the American criminal justice system for simple drug charges have a sign of hope.
Whether it’s 10 convictions or 10 million, all that matters is that something is actually being done. Some form of action must be taken to ensure not only safety, but confidence, to people who just want to smoke weed in peace.
Whether or not the government pushes for Biden's attempt at granting these pardons at the state and local level, the actions he has taken shows people that he is willing to fight for their causes.
