President Joe Biden’s surprise marijuana pardon action last week has been widely praised as an important step toward righting the wrongs of prohibition. But advocates have also been quick to point out that the move is seriously limited in scope and will leave many victims of the war on cannabis behind, without relief. People prosecuted […]| Marijuana Moment
Just one in four Republicans agree that people of color are unfairly punished over marijuana, despite data consistently showing that Black and Hispanic people are disproportionately arrested over cannabis compared to white people, according to a new poll. It’s a significant finding, especially given how commonly studies and reports about racial discrimination in cannabis enforcement […]| Marijuana Moment
President Joe Biden’s pick for attorney general said on Monday that it is not “a useful use of limited resources” to go after people who are complying with state marijuana laws. He also citied cannabis enforcement as an example of the racially discriminatory impact of the criminal justice system. Judge Merrick Garland, whose views on […]| Marijuana Moment
The Justice Department and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) say they will quickly act to follow President Joe Biden’s new directive to review marijuana’s federal scheduling status and process mass cannabis possession pardons. Within an hour after the president made the surprise announcement, a DOJ spokesperson released a statement saying the department […]| Marijuana Moment
U.S. Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer said on Tuesday that the Justice Department will soon give people the opportunity obtain certificates for presidential marijuana pardons through a soon-to-be-launched application process that they expect will only take 10 minutes to complete. The official also weighed in on the fact that the President Joe Biden’s mass pardon excluded […]| Marijuana Moment
A Democratic congressman is circulating a sign-on letter challenging Biden Administration officials who are currently engaged in a review of marijuana’s scheduling status under the federal Controlled Substances Act to provide clear and compelling reasons for whatever decisions they reach. “To ensure accountability in your conclusions—which has been absent in so much of the history […]| Marijuana Moment
Speaking at an event commemorating the end of Black History Month on Monday, President Joe Biden again touted his move to pardon people for marijuana—highlighting the racially disparate impact of cannabis enforcement. “Another thing about equal justice. I’m keeping my promise: No one should be in prison for the mere possession of marijuana,” the president […]| Marijuana Moment
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday reaffirmed that he does not feel the Department of Justice should be using its limited resources to go after people using marijuana in compliance with state law. During a House Appropriations subcommittee meeting, Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) asked the official about what steps his agency could take to stop […]| Marijuana Moment
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland says that the Justice Department is “examining” marijuana policy and will be addressing the issue “in the days ahead.” The comments come in response to one of several questions that Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) submitted to the nation’s top prosecutor as a follow-up to a congressional hearing that was held […]| Marijuana Moment
President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as U.S. attorney general has reiterated in written testimony to multiple senators that he does not feel the Department of Justice should be using its resources to prosecute people who are acting in compliance with state marijuana laws. In a series of responses to questions from lawmakers who followed […]| Marijuana Moment
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is moving to rescind Obama-era guidance that has generally allowed states to implement their own marijuana laws without federal interference. Justice Department Issues Memo on Marijuana Enforcement https://t.co/tcNPpruHpp — Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) January 4, 2018 The move comes after nearly a year of conflicting signals from the attorney general about […]| Marijuana Moment
President Joe Biden has officially signed a marijuana research bill into law, making history by enacting the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform legislation in U.S. history. The bill cleared the House in July and the Senate last month, and a White House spokesperson confirmed to Marijuana Moment that the president intended to sign […]| Marijuana Moment