The US President’s weed action has led to a mass pardon for people convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law. The weed action decriminalizes the possession and offers mass pardons while also directing his administration to speed up an assessment of marijuana should remain under Schedule I.
This classification is reserved for dangerous drugs that include LSD, ecstasy, and heroin. Schedule I drugs are those with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Even deadly drugs such as methamphetamine are Schedule II drugs.
Justifying his weed action, President Biden said that the wrong approach towards dealing with the possession of marijuana has led to many lives being upended. He said that it was time to right the wrongs as hundreds of thousands of people were sentenced for possession of marijuana. As a result, they continue to be denied educational opportunities, employment, and housing.
The weed action for the classification of marijuana will be led by Merrick Garland, the Attorney General, and Xavier Becerra, the secretary of Health and Human Services. It could hopefully address the enduring question if marijuana possession should finally be decriminalized by the federal government. It is already deemed legal in several states.
Weed Action Could Decriminalize Only Possession For Personal Use
The weed action initiated by President Biden does not fully approve decriminalization. But his announcement has energized campaigners who have long advocated removing it from the list. Biden said while marijuana was used by both Whites and colored people, Black, and Latinos have been disproportionately arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for use of marijuana.
Since 1965, over 29 M Americans were arrested for offenses linked to marijuana. Elaboration on the weed action, Biden said as a matter of fairness, it made no sense to treat marijuana on the same level under federal law as heroin.
Biden’s weed action is at variance with his position during his presidential campaign when he had said that marijuana could be considered a gateway drug that leads to serious drug abuse. He had in the 80s and 90s taken a more stringent line on marijuana use though as a president he has moved away from his hardline stance. The weed action could lead to state governors offering mass pardons using their authority.
