December 22, 2023 11:36 AM UTC

"Dank Brandon" Pardons Federal Marijuana Offenders

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• by: Colorado Pols

NPR reports this morning on the Biden administration’s announcement of a new round of pardons and sentence commutations for individuals accused of low-level marijuana possession and use on federal property, expanding on pardons issued last year for people convicted of such crimes on federal lands with no intent to distribute:

President Biden issued a wide-reaching proclamation Friday that further pardons people who have certain convictions related to marijuana under federal and D.C. law.

The pardon builds on actions Biden took last year on pardons related to simple possession of marijuana. A White House official said this new proclamation expands those actions by issuing pardons for things like the offense of use and possession on certain federal lands.

The pardon encompasses U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who committed or were convicted of simple possession, attempted simple possession or use of marijuana — regardless of whether the offender had been charged or prosecuted yet.

NBC News with more from President Joe “Dank Brandon” Biden on today’s pardons:

The new pardons target “additional offenses of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and D.C. law,” Biden said in a statement. The proclamation includes offenses related to “use and possession on certain Federal lands,” provisions that weren’t covered by the 2022 proclamation.

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

It’s worth keeping in mind that although marijuana has been legal in Colorado for over a decade, large swaths of Colorado land owned by the federal government have remained prohibition zones for marijuana possession. These pardons are certainly a step in the right direction, but the real solution would be for the Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule marijuana from its current hardline criminal status, which may also be around the corner.

In the meantime, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is praising the Biden administration today for “following Colorado’s lead,” since as the trailblazer of marijuana legalization we’ve already done what Biden did today with state-level offenders:

“I’m thrilled to see President Biden following Colorado’s lead by pardoning federal and D.C. marijuana use and possession offenses. This overdue action will help people who were convicted for something that is no longer a crime get jobs, housing, and more. This is a major step toward breaking down barriers and helping more people and our economy thrive,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

In 2020, Governor Polis issued an Executive Order pardoning Coloradans with marijuana possession convictions of one ounce or less, pardoning 2,732 total convictions. In 2021, following increases to the legal amount of marijuana a person could possess, Governor Polis pardoned another 1,351 possession convictions. This action removed barriers for Coloradans whose past convictions were no longer illegal under updated present laws.

It’s just another issue where the rest of the country is catching up to Colorado’s status quo. From gun safety to voting rights, we’ve got plenty more.