The Classy Investors

  /  Editor’s Pick   /  “Biden Expands Marijuana Clemency: Pardons Afloat in D.C.!

“Biden Expands Marijuana Clemency: Pardons Afloat in D.C.!

In a recently released statement, President Joe Biden has implemented an executive order to pardon a number of low-level marijuana offenses in the nation’s capital. This executive order is aimed at reforming the criminal justice system to ensure that individuals convicted of minor offenses are not held back by these charges. The Biden administration has been dedicated to decreasing the injustices among victims of unequal enforcement of marijuana-related offenses. The president is now expanding on this mission with the newest executive order, pardoning more than 50 individuals with District of Columbia convictions for marijuana offenses. The executive order is issued in conjunction with Biden’s recently announced plan to expand the clemency application process for those convicted of low-level offenses, known as the Clemency Project 2022. This project aims to aid individuals that may have received excessive sentences due to the “draconian punishments of our justice system”. The Clemency Project 2022 will prioritize clemency applications that result from prison revisions of drug-related charges and other non-violent shadow convictions. At the time of the clemency advisory announcement, Presidential Counselor and Senior Advisor Steve Richetti said “Our current system continuously miscarries justice and disproportionately harms communities of color, and this Clemency Project is an important step towards that goal.” The pardons for marijuana offenses in D.C. are further proof that the Biden administration is committed to creating a just and equitable criminal justice system. According to an article from the Drug Policy Alliance, “The president’s pardon of marijuana offenses…demonstrates that he is willing to address the serious injustices that have gone unacknowledged and untouched for too long”. Biden’s expansion of executive clemency for the Younger adults ~ These cleaning phrases are the latest manifestation of the President’s commitment to creating a more equitable criminal justice system, and should be celebrated accordingly. While this latest announcement is a step in the right direction, it is distinctly clear that there remains more work to do in order to fix the injustices of our criminal justice system.