The president of the United States, Joe Biden, announced that he will pardon all those convicted of possession of marijuana, a demand from his supporters that he makes known one month before the legislative elections mid-term.
“I am announcing a pardon of all prior federal offenses for simple possession of marijuana,” Biden said in a statement.
“I have directed the attorney general to develop an administrative process for the issuance of pardon certificates to eligible persons,” he added.
Biden said that these pardons will help thousands of people struggling to find employment, housing, or educational opportunities due to prior federal marijuana possession convictions.
He also urged governors to extend clemency to people who have broken state laws criminalizing marijuana possession.
“Even if federal and state regulation of marijuana changes, important limitations on trafficking, marketing and sale to minors must be maintained,” Biden said.
“Too many lives have been altered by our failed approach to marijuana. It is time to right these wrongs,” the president concluded.
One of the first to celebrate the White House decision was Senator Bernie Sanders.representative of the most progressive wing of the Democratic party: “I have long believed that marijuana should be legalized and that those arrested for possession should be pardoned and their records expunged.”
“The President’s executive action today is an important step forward, but much more must be done,” the legislator said on his Twitter account.
I have long believed that marijuana should be legalized and those arrested for possession should be pardoned and have their records expunged. The President’s executive action today is an important step forward, but much more needs to be done.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 6, 2022
