Biden Pardons Marijuana Convictions! Cue The Noise!

High times.

President Joe Biden has confirmed he is taking steps to decriminalize marijuana use.

On Thursday, the president had issued pardons for hundreds of individuals who were convicted of non violent federal charges. The White House estimates “6,500 people with prior federal convictions” and “thousands of such convictions under (Washington, DC) law could benefit from this relief.”

Biden said that “no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana.”

“It’s legal in many states, and criminal records for marijuana possession have led to needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” he continued. “And that’s before you address the racial disparities around who suffers the consequences. While White and Black and Brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and Brown people are arrested, prosecuted and convicted at disproportionate rates.”

Cue the Conservative outrage. Many on the far right claim it is an attempt to generate votes. 

And their point is?

Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Hear from @POTUS on the three steps he is taking to right these wrongs. pic.twitter.com/IqOxHxjgue

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 6, 2022

Additionally, @POTUS asked @SecBecerra and the Attorney General to initiate the process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. Marijuana is currently classified at the same level as heroin – and above fentanyl.

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 6, 2022

Inspired by Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden had blanket pardon Americans who were convicted federally for use or trafficking of marijuana. The state and territorial governors must issue pardons on the state/territorial level.

Smoking weed does not kill.

The pardon has only an affect on Americans convicted in federal court. It does not apply to non citizens and U.S. nationals (those born in American Samoa).

Biden’s presidential proclamation states that his pardon “does not apply to individuals who were non-citizens not lawfully present in the United States at the time of their offense.”

Softball Hannity calls decriminalization of marijuana a sham and claims Democrats are panicking.

This suggests that undocumented immigrants will not be pardoned for existing federal charges for simple marijuana possession.

But a senior administration official on Thursday noted that as a result of Biden’s proclamation, “anyone who has committed that offense could not be prosecuted federally, at this point, based on that conduct.”

The official did not make a distinction between citizens and non-citizens.

Data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission indicates that during fiscal year 2021 some 72% of federal offenders in a case of marijuana possession were non-citizens. But it’s not clear how many non-citizens count as “lawfully” or “unlawfully” present in the country.

Fox's most annoying media agitator claims that Democrats are panicking. How are they panicking?

Yeah, inflation sucks, gas prices are high and politics is toxic. Democrats do take the blunt of responsibility. I mean a hurricane, Russia invading Ukraine, OPEC cutting oil, monkeypox, ebola, the coronavirus, unrest in the world, its not all Biden's fault.

Inflation is worldwide. 

But do Republicans have any policies that can curb inflation?

No.

All they want to do is keep you distracted with culture wars and partisan blame games.