Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
1–10 of 351 posts
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#2Reminder that Biden can only pardon federal crimes, and that very few people have federal convictions for simple possession.
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#3I don't use cannabis. If it were to go away tomorrow, my life wouldn't change one bit.
I am absolutely thrilled with this blanket pardon.
Rephrasing the statement slightly, like:
> I am pardoning additional individuals who may continue to experience the unnecessary collateral consequences of a conviction for simple possession of beer, attempted simple possession of beer, or use of beer.
and it sounds utterly obvious, and ludicrous that it ever would have been an issue in the first place. I love a good stout or porter, and I can walk into just about any grocery store, flash my ID, hand over some cash, and walk out with a bottle of drugs that's caused far more societal harm than cannabis ever did. That I can drink a beer in public and no one bats an eye, while my neighbors could smoke a joint in their own house and go to jail for it, is insanity.
Good on you, Mr. President, for making life better for a whole lot of Americans.
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#4That's a good start Joe, keep going.
The scope of the president's pardon power is breathtaking.
([T]he power [of clemency] flows from the Constitution alone, not from any legislative enactments, and . . . it cannot be modified, abridged, or diminished by the Congress.). -- -20Garland, 71 U.S. at 380; see also Schick v. Reed, 419 U.S. 256, 266 (1974)
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#5Reminder that Biden can only pardon federal crimes, and that very few people have federal convictions for simple possession.
Smart to do what he unilaterally can considering how stalled things are right now.
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#6I don't disagree that this is good for those involved or affected.
However, nothing stops the same from happening to someone tomorrow. The past several administrations have been relying too heavily on executive fiat for the optics.
The DEA needs to reschedule it. Anything else is at best a band-aid, if not simple lip service to buy votes.
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#7This will have virtually zero effect.
The president only has the power to pardon people convicted or accused of violating federal law and prosecuted in federal court.
The problem is that nearly all people arrested for simple possession of marijuana aren't charged under federal law nor prosecuted in federal court. They are charged under state law that similarly outlaws marijuana possession and prosecuted in state court. The president does not have the power to pardon convictions and punishment in state court.
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#8Reminder that Biden can only pardon federal crimes, and that very few people have federal convictions for simple possession.
Smart to do what he unilaterally can considering how stalled things are right now.
The change still happens within the executive branch - the DEA is in charge of the scheduling of marijuana.
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#9Reminder that Biden can only pardon federal crimes, and that very few people have federal convictions for simple possession.
Exactly. Not many folks catching federal charges for simple possession. trafficking on the other hand....
https://www.ussc.gov/research/research-reports/weighing-impa...
Re: Granting pardon for the offense of simple possession of or use of marijuana
#10It seems weird that it excludes foreign nationals who are no longer resident. Why not just pardon everyone who was convicted?