Changing US Policy on Marijuana, President Biden: Too Many Victims Due to Failed Approach

Illustration of cannabis cultivation. (Unsplash/terredicannabis)

JAKARTA - President Joe Biden took steps to overhaul United States policy on marijuana on Thursday, pardoning thousands of people with federal offenses for simple possession of marijuana, beginning a review of how it is classified.

President Biden said thousands of people with previous federal convictions could be denied employment, housing or educational opportunities. Its executive move is said to be mitigating the consequences of such 'guarantees'.

Nearly 40 US states have legalized marijuana use in some form, but it remains illegal in some states and at the federal level.

The reclassification would be the first step towards broader legalization, a move supported by a majority of Americans, ushering in sweeping changes for companies and law enforcement and impacting millions of people.

President Biden's decision to fulfill campaign promises is likely to please supporters in his left-leaning political base ahead of the November midterm elections, in which his fellow Democratic president retains control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"Too many lives have been lost because of our failed approach to cannabis. It's time we correct this mistake," President Biden said.

marijuana illustration. (Unsplash/Richard T)

He urged state governors to follow suit.

"Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely for possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local prison or state prison for that reason," said President Biden.

President Biden said he had directed Attorney General Merrick Garland to develop an "administrative process" to issue pardon certificates to those who qualify.

"The Department of Justice will immediately implement the President's proclamation, which pardons individuals involved in modest possession of marijuana, restoring political, civil and other rights to those convicted of the offence," the department said in a statement.

Still, President Biden said certain rules needed to stay in place, even as regulations across the country were relaxed.

"Finally, even as federal and state regulations on marijuana change, important restrictions on the trafficking, marketing and sale of minors must remain in place."

A senior administration official said more than 6,500 people with previous federal convictions could receive the pardons.

Cannabis illustration. (Unsplash/@justnjames)

This move was warmly welcomed by supporters of the legalization of marijuana in the United States, as well as its impact on the racial imbalance in the justice system in Uncle Sam's country.

"The United States will never fairly legalize marijuana, until it takes into account the outdated policy that equates thousands of black youths with violent drug dealers," said Al Sharpton, president of the civil rights group National Action Network.

"They were thrown behind bars for years for simple possession, non-violent offences, for a substance that is now legalized by red states and blue states," he said, referring to Republicans (red) and Democrats (blue).

Separately, the results of a classification review can have far-reaching consequences. Currently, marijuana is under the same classification as heroin and LSD and is in a higher classification than fentanyl and methamphetamine, the president said.

While many states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, its illegal status under US federal law has forced most major banks to deny their services to cannabis-related businesses.

The global cannabis industry is expected to reach $55 billion in sales by 2026, with the U.S. market growing to $40 billion by then, up from $25 billion last year, research firm BDSA forecast in September.

Industry experts believe US federal reforms could push those numbers much higher.