President Biden has announced pardons for anyone convicted of a federal crime for possessing marijuana, and has urged governors to do the same. This would affect approximately around 6,000 people, with thousands more in the District of Columbia.
The president has also directed his administration to expedite a review of whether marijuana should continue to be listed in the same legal category reserved for the most dangerous drugs, including heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Reclassifying marijuana could end decades of misalignment between federal laws banning the substance and a growing patchwork of state laws that permit it.
Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates for loosening drug laws, said many people have been eagerly awaiting this type of announcement.