US President Biden pardons thousands convicted of using or possessing marijuana

United States President Joe Biden has pardoned thousands of American citizens convicted of using or possessing marijuana on certain federal lands. According to a report by the news agency Bloomberg on Friday (Dec 22), President Biden commuted the sentences of nearly a dozen non-violent drug offenders.

"I exercised my authority under the Constitution to pardon individuals who committed or were convicted of the offence of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and section 48–904.01(d)(1) of the Code of the District of Columbia (D.C. Code)," Biden said in a statement.

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"As I have said before, convictions for simple possession of marijuana have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities," he added. "This pardon does not apply to individuals who were non-citizens not lawfully present in the United States at the time of their offence," the president further said in the statement.

Sentences of 11 Americans shortened

As per the Bloomberg report, the prison sentences of 11 Americans were shortened. These citizens were either serving decades-long or life sentences for non-violent drug offences. Speaking to the news agency, an official said that some people with crack cocaine convictions will have their sentences commuted, noting that powder cocaine offences tend to receive shorter punishments.

Biden's decision applies to various federal lands including national parks, wildlife refuges and even the CIA. It covers only US citizens and does not include charges associated with distributing marijuana or driving while using it.

As a presidential candidate in 2020, Biden vowed to broadly use the clemency powers of the presidency for non-violent crimes. Bloomberg reported that while some advocates argued that the president used those powers sparingly, he pardoned thousands of federal convictions for simple marijuana possession in 2022.

In December 2022, Biden issued full pardons to six Americans including an 80-year-old woman.

(With inputs from agencies)