Joe Biden Pardons Anyone Convicted Of Simple Marijuana Possession Under Federal Law And People Seem Pretty Excited About It

Making good on a campaign promise, President Joe Biden has announced that he will be pardoning all federal charges for simple marijuana possession, and he’s urging governors across the country to do the same. Biden announced the sweeping move on Twitter where he also announced his intentions to no longer consider weed the same schedule of drug as heroin.

“As I’ve said before, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,” Biden said on Thursday. “Today, I’m taking steps to end our failed approach.”

The president, who has been on a hot streak following a recent trip to Florida, laid out his plan for rectifying America’s erroneous treatment of marijuana offenders:

First: I’m pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden.

Second: I’m calling on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses. Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely for possessing marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.

Third: We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin – and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense. I’m asking @SecBecerra and the Attorney General to initiate the process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

Biden ended his remarks by noting the racial disparity in how marijuana crimes were prosecuted, which will end on his watch. “Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives – for conduct that is legal in many states,” Biden said. “That’s before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs.”

Following the announcement, Twitter exploded with reactions to the sweeping pardon, which not for nothing, backed up the president’s claim that “Nobody f*cks with a Biden.”

You can see reactions to Biden’s pardon for marijuana possession below:

https://twitter.com/BenLaBolt/status/1578100192695713792
https://twitter.com/AmandaMarcotte/status/1578104371430072320

https://twitter.com/RobertGarcia/status/1578103277438525442

Of course, this monumental decision now begs a very important question:

(Via President Biden on Twitter)