This past Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that he would pardon over 6,500 convicted marijuana offenders from federal penal institutions. Those being pardoned are comprised of individuals that were in possession of marijuana and found guilty under federal law. The president made a bold statement: “No one should be in prison just for marijuana possession.” He is calling for governors throughout America to follow suit. Those that will be pardoned don’t include individuals who were not U.S. citizens at the time of their conviction. The pardoning process will begin immediately.
Due to these executive actions, federal prisons will realize some relief from overcrowded conditions. America incarcerates more individuals that any other country in the world, of which drug offenses are the leading cause. This disappointing trend has been addressed by America’s past two presidents, and now Biden. Another effect of this new policy caused marijuana stock on Wall Street to soar on Friday, signaling a message that this country’s marijuana policies could soon be dramatically changing.
One item that was not covered in the president’s announcement was a brief explanation of federal Possession of Marijuana laws. Law enforcement officers and federal prosecutors do not seek out criminal charges on individuals that are found to be in possession of minor amounts of this substance. For example, a police officer finding a person to be in possession of a small baggie of marijuana would not be charged with a federal offense. Generally, only those possessing large amounts of marijuana are criminally prosecuted federally. Federal laws are reserved for those in possession of large amount of marijuana. Under federal law, a person possession under 50-kilos (110 pounds) of marijuana is charged with only a “Simple Possession” violation.
Is it the opinion of this author and others in the law enforcement profession that illegal drug traffickers are primarily the ones that possess kilos of marijuana, not the common citizen for their own person use. And in most cases, drug dealers usually sell more than one type of illegal substance, which can include dangerous drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines (and many more).
In conclusion, we must ponder this executive action, wondering how many “drug traffickers” did President Biden just pardon and release back into our society? To some extent, marijuana law reform is necessary but should focus only on decriminalizing small, personal amounts. The United States is one of the most drug addicted countries in the world, so let’s find ways to counter this, not promote it! My vote – bad executive action.