The Biden administration is suspending marijuana law reform

February 23, 2022

Reform of federal marijuana laws has stalled despite President Biden’s pre-election promise to decriminalize drugs, and polls show a majority of Americans support the idea.

Inaction has angered supporters of more free marijuana laws, as some Republicans and Democrats support the idea.

“If someone like me and a progressive like Alexandria Occasio-Cortesia can find a common language, the question arises, why did the president not act? This was announced by Republican Dave Joyce from Ohio The Wall Street Journal. “There are solutions. “It’s just a matter of political will,” he said.

During the May 2019 campaign, Biden came out in favor of decriminalization, which would prevent people from being arrested for possession of marijuana under federal law and abolish previous criminal records for possession. Other candidates, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have backed full legalization under federal law.

Federal law states that a person convicted of possession of marijuana can be sentenced to one year in prison for the first offense and two to three years for subsequent convictions. National Marijuana Law Reform Organization. However, the vast majority of marijuana arrests are made by local or state police with a variety of fines.

Meanwhile, more states are taking marijuana. Earlier this month, Mississippi became the 37th state to approve medical marijuana in any form. National Conference of State Legislatures The website states that 18 states, two territories and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use.

The public has been warming to this idea for years. November 2021 Gallup poll Showed that 68% of respondents are in favor of legalizing the drug.

The Wall Street Journal He said the deadlock in the Senate is unlikely that marijuana legislation will move forward this year. Biden may be concerned that advocating for marijuana reform makes him look soft on crime as the midterm elections approach.

“I really see the Biden administration watching the rise in crime, and I think it would be a mistake to send messages to talk about decriminalizing cannabis, pardon and record release,” said John Hudack, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies marijuana. Politics, he said Journal.

Maritsa Perez, director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports changing marijuana laws, told PolitiFact That Biden could reform the laws without going through Congress.

Peres said the president could order the Department of Justice to prioritize marijuana prosecution or use his pardon right to impose a marijuana ban on federal crime. It can also support the MORE Act, which removes marijuana from the list of planned substances in accordance with the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for the production, distribution or possession of marijuana.

“Unfortunately, we have not seen any move or even serious discussion about a step in the right direction when it comes to marijuana policy reform and the Biden administration,” Justin Strekal, political director at NORML, told PolitiFact.

The White House told The Wall Street Journal That cannabis policy is under study but declined to comment further.