President Joe Biden has called April the “Second Chance Month” for individuals who have served prison sentences. In the announcement, he highlighted his cannabis pardons and discussed the secondary repercussions of cannabis convictions.
The declaration, made public last Friday, is not exclusively about cannabis clemency.
Its broader purpose is to draw attention to “helping people forge the new beginnings they have earned and building a safer and more just society.”
Biden stated that his administration has been dedicated to crime prevention and breaking “the cycle of recidivism.” Part of this initiative included granting a large-scale marijuana pardon last year for those convicted of federal cannabis possession crimes.
The president mentioned that his administration has taken “unprecedented measures to put an end to our country’s flawed stance on marijuana.”
“Sending people to prison for possession has upended too many lives for conduct that many States no longer prohibit,” the proclamation reads. “It has seen Black and Brown Americans disproportionately arrested, prosecuted, and convicted; and imposed unfair barriers to housing, employment, and education.”
“Last fall, I announced a full pardon for Federal and D.C. simple possession offenses, while calling on other elected officials to do the same at the State and local levels where most marijuana prosecutions take place,” the document continues.
Mainly a Symbolic Gesture
Although presidential pardons symbolize formal forgiveness by the federal government, there is ongoing debate about their actual impact on “unjust barriers” to things like housing, as records are not expunged and may still be used against individuals under certain conditions, according to congressional researchers.
The White House has likewise maintained that the pardons could help remove social and economic obstacles, as outlined in a factsheet released prior to the president’s State of the Union address in February.
In February, Biden also signed an executive order promoting equity within the White House and federal agencies, which acknowledged the earlier marijuana pardons.
Biden’s concurrent effort for state-level relief could produce more significant outcomes for those affected by cannabis criminalization. Although he has consistently communicated his message to governors, this proclamation’s reference to local clemency is a new element he is advocating.
The president has frequently praised his pardon initiative in recent months, claiming that it has “transformed the lives of thousands” and highlighting racial disparities in marijuana enforcement.
The Department of Justice has also recently made available applications for pardon recipients to obtain official certification of their forgiveness.
In addition to pardoning several thousand individuals, Biden instructed federal agencies to conduct an administrative review of federal marijuana classification.
Officials have pledged to complete the review promptly, though the precise timeline remains uncertain.
Over a dozen bipartisan congressional legislators submitted a letter to high-ranking Biden administration officials last month, requesting transparency in the ongoing marijuana classification review.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated during a Senate hearing last month that the DOJ is “still workig on a marijuana policy” while awaiting the findings of the scientific review from health agencies.
