How Will President Biden’s Weed Pardons Impact Federal Drug Laws?

The Biden Administration announced on Thursday a pardon of all federal offenses for simple marijuana possession. Additionally, President Biden called for a review of the drug’s classification as a “Schedule 1” substance, which places cannabis at the same level as heroin. The action, seen by many across the political spectrum as long overdue, prompted analysis and speculation from outlets on what the next step would be and what the move means for America’s ‘War on Drugs.’

Axios (Center Bias) outlined how the Biden Administration’s decision would impact weed dispensaries in states where the drug is legal, either medically or recreationally. Due to the drug’s federal classification, many cannabis companies cannot currently access federal banks and face challenges acquiring business loans.

In Reason (Lean Right Bias), the tangible and rhetorical weight of the action by the President was explained. Biden’s move was commended, but the article listed the limitations of the pardons, which only encompasses simple federal possession charges, for which nobody is currently incarcerated. While roughly 6,500 are expected to be pardoned, tens of thousands remain in prison for other cannabis-related charges.

In RollingStone (Left Bias), the journey of Joe Biden from a leading force in the War on Drugs to the first President to call for federal reform was documented, beginning with his tenure serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee as a Delaware senator in the 1980s.