Legal Justice
Biden expands marijuana pardons, commutes sentences of 11 others serving lengthy drug sentences
President Joe Biden on Friday expanded the varieties of marijuana offenses for which he’s granting pardons. Picture from Shutterstock.
President Joe Biden on Friday expanded the varieties of marijuana offenses for which he’s granting pardons.
On Oct. 6, 2022, Biden granted pardons to individuals convicted of easy marijuana possession beneath federal or Washington, D.C., legal guidelines on or earlier than that date.
On Friday, Biden pardoned easy marijuana offenses dedicated on or earlier than Dec. 22, 2023. He additionally granted pardons for extra offenses beneath federal and D.C. legislation involving easy marijuana possession, tried possession and use, based on an FAQ page by the U.S. Division of Justice’s Workplace of the Pardon Lawyer.
Biden’s proclamation is here; his assertion is here; and a press release by Vice President Kamala Harris is here.
The pardons cowl U.S. residents and lawful U.S. residents. They don’t cowl marijuana offenses of conspiracy, possession and possession with intent to distribute. Nor do they cowl driving whereas beneath the affect of marijuana or possession of marijuana in a correctional facility.
These looking for the pardons must submit functions to the DOJ’s pardon lawyer.
Biden stated in his assertion Friday he’s additionally commuting the sentences of 11 people who find themselves “serving disproportionately lengthy sentences for nonviolent drug offenses. All of them would have been eligible to obtain considerably decrease sentences in the event that they have been charged with the identical offense right this moment.”
Publications protecting the announcement embrace Axios and USA Today.
