Biden pardons thousands of people convicted of marijuana offences

‘Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs,’ Biden says

President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of people convicted of marijuana offences in Washington DC and on federal lands.

He’s also set to commute the sentences of 11 non-violent drug offenders “serving disproportionately long sentences”.

Mr Biden made the announcement in a statement on Friday morning, saying that “America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law”.

“Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect this core value that makes our communities safer and stronger,” he added. “That is why today I am announcing additional steps I am taking to make the promise of equal justice a reality.”

The president said that if the offenders receiving the commuted sentences had faced justice today, “all of them would have been eligible to receive significantly lower sentences”.

Mr Biden, noting that he has previously issued a pardon of previous federal and DC “offences of simple possession of marijuana”, said that he would issue a “Proclamation that will pardon additional offences of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and DC law”.

“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” the president said. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

“Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either. That’s why I continue to urge governors to do the same with regard to state offences and applaud those who have since taken action,” Mr Biden said. “I have exercised my clemency power more than any recent predecessor has at this point in their presidency. And while today’s announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equal justice, address racial disparities, strengthen public safety, and enhance the wellbeing of all Americans.”

The sentences of the offenders included on Mr Biden’s list of commutations ranged from 15 years to life. Most of their sentences will now end in the first few months of next year.

By the time he left office in early 2017, President Barack Obama had issued 1,715 commutations and 212 pardons, with most of those granted clemency having been convicted of drug violations. Many of them had received long and at times mandatory sentences amidst the war on drugs – a term popularized by President Richard Nixon during a press conference in the summer of 1971.

Former President Donald Trump granted clemency to 237 people, most of whom had a personal connection to him or served a political purpose. Only 25 of the pardons and commutations issued by Mr Trump went through the regular process at the Department of Justice, the rest were the result of personal connections and lobbying efforts.

Mr Biden’s pardon of simple marijuana offences on federal lands and in Washington, DC has so far helped at least 6,500 people. It’s the largest number of people to receive a presidential pardon since President Jimmy Carter pardoned more than 200,000 people for evading the draft for the Vietnam war.