Biden Administration Stalls on Marijuana Regulation Reform
Feb. 23, 2022
Reform of federal marijuana legal guidelines has stalled regardless of President Biden’s marketing campaign promise to decriminalize the drug and polls exhibiting {that a} majority of People helps the thought.
The inaction rankles supporters of looser marijuana legal guidelines as a result of the thought has help from some Republicans and Democrats.
“If somebody like myself and a progressive like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can discover some frequent floor, it begs the query, why hasn’t the president acted?” U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, advised The Wall Street Journal. “The options are there. It’s only a matter of political will,” he mentioned.
Whereas campaigning in Might 2019, Biden got here out in favor of decriminalization, which might forestall individuals from being incarcerated for marijuana possession beneath federal legislation and expunge prior prison information for possession. Different candidates, together with Vice President Kamala Harris, supported full legalization beneath federal legislation.
Federal legislation says an individual convicted of marijuana possession might be jailed for one 12 months for the primary offense and given two to 3 years for subsequent convictions, in accordance with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. A big majority of marijuana arrests, nevertheless, are made by native or state police with various penalties.
In the meantime, extra states are embracing marijuana. Earlier this month, Mississippi grew to become the thirty seventh state to approve medical marijuana in some type. The National Conference of State Legislatures webpage says 18 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for grownup leisure use.
The general public has warmed to the thought over time. A November 2021 Gallup poll confirmed 68% of respondents favored legalizing the drug.
The Wall Road Journal mentioned the impasse within the Senate makes it unlikely any marijuana laws would transfer ahead this 12 months. Biden could also be involved that advocating marijuana reform would make him look smooth on crime because the midterm elections strategy.
“I can positively see the Biden administration taking a look at rising crime charges and assume it could be a messaging mistake to start to speak about decriminalization of hashish, about pardons and file expungement,” John Hudak, a senior fellow on the Brookings Establishment who research marijuana coverage, advised The Journal.
Maritza Perez, a director on the Drug Coverage Alliance, which favors altering marijuana legal guidelines, advised PolitiFact that Biden might reform legal guidelines with out going via Congress.
Perez mentioned the president might order the Justice Division to deprioritize marijuana prosecutions or use his clemency energy to launch individuals serving time for federal marijuana offenses. He might additionally help the MORE Act, which might take marijuana off the listing of scheduled substances beneath the Managed Substances Act and eradicate prison penalties for manufacturing, distributing, or possessing marijuana.
“Sadly, we’ve not seen any steps and even the indication of significant consideration for a step in the proper route with regards to marijuana coverage reform and the Biden administration,” Justin Strekal, political director of the NORML, advised PolitiFact.
The White Home advised The Wall Road Journal that hashish coverage is beneath examine however declined additional remark.
