“The president was very clear—he wants this done as quickly as possible.” By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said in Tampa Friday that he intends for his agency to move “as quickly as we can” to comply with President Joe Biden’s directive to review the decades-old policy […]| Marijuana Moment
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
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
It was one year ago on Friday that President Joe Biden issued a mass marijuana pardon and directed an administrative scheduling review. Lawmakers and advocates say it’s time to do more. While there is broad based consensus among reform supporters that the president’s action last year represented a positive step in the right direction, on […]| Marijuana Moment
The head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is aiming to present President Joe Biden with a federal cannabis scheduling decision “this year” as agencies work “as quickly as we can” to complete an administrative review, Secretary Xavier Becerra told Marijuana Moment during a press briefing in Sacramento on Thursday. While […]| Marijuana Moment
President Joe Biden on Friday issued a proclamation expanding a marijuana pardon initiative he began last year by including for the first time people who committed cannabis possession offenses on federal properties. “Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in a statement. “Too […]| Marijuana Moment
The Justice Department has already started issuing pardon certificates for certain marijuana offenses covered under an expanded proclamation that President Joe Biden issued last month. Chris Goldstein, a cannabis activist who was arrested over possession of marijuana on federal land while protesting for reform in 2014, shared the certification he received from DOJ’s Office of […]| Marijuana Moment
Congressional researchers released a report on Wednesday that provides a point-by-point overview of the limitations of President Joe Biden’s mass marijuana pardon, as well as broader analysis on recent state and federal cannabis reform actions. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) described the “two key developments in federal and state marijuana regulation” that have taken place […]| Marijuana Moment
The governor of Kentucky said on Thursday that he’s “actively considering” possible marijuana clemency actions the state can take following President Joe Biden’s pardon announcement last week—and he’s directed a review of state-level cannabis cases to inform future steps. In the interim, he’s encouraging people who’ve been convicted over marijuana alone to apply for a […]| Marijuana Moment
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is officially recommending that marijuana be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law—a historic development that means the top health agency no longer considers cannabis to be a drug with high abuse potential and no medical value. After completing a scientific review into […]| Marijuana Moment
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a highly redacted version of a brief letter to the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regarding the agency’s marijuana rescheduling recommendation. The letter, obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Law360 reporter Sam Reisman, confirmed certain previously reported details such […]| Marijuana Moment
“Though symbolically important, the president’s general pardon for simple marijuana possession and related offenses was destined to have a marginal impact.” By Erik Luna, Arizona State University & Weldon Angelos, The Weldon Project On October 6, 2022, President Joe Biden issued a historic general pardon for all previous crimes of simple marijuana possession in violation […]| Marijuana Moment