Joe Biden Issues Federal Marijuana Pardon! How Broad Is Its Scope?

U.S. President Joe Biden is making huge headlines after announcing that he is issuing a federal pardon for marijuana personal usage. This was announced by the White House on Friday, Dec. 22.

Joe Biden Marijuana Issues Personal Usage Federal Pardon! How Broad Is Its Scope?

(Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) A customer displays a bag of "flower", or marijuana bud, that she purchased at an unlicensed cannabis dispensary in unincorporated Los Angeles County, just east of the Los Angeles city boundary, on December 21, 2022.

White House officials said that federal pardon applies to all Americans and lawful permanent U.S. residents who were in possession of marijuana for recreational use.

American citizens convicted of marijuana personal usage and other similar federal crimes will also be pardoned. Aside from these, the District of Columbia can take advantage of it since pot users will be forgiven as well.

Joe Biden Issues Marijuana Personal Usage Federal Pardon!

Many Americans might think that the latest marijuana personal usage federal pardon issued by Joe Biden could have significant implications, especially since marijuana-related criminal records imposed barriers to education, housing, and employment opportunities.

However, the federal pardon will not apply to marijuana users who violated state law. Aside from this, the White House explained that U.S. citizens who want pardons are required to apply via the Department of Justice.

"My intent by this proclamation is to pardon only the offenses of simple possession of marijuana, attempted simple possession of marijuana, or use of marijuana in violation of the Federal and D.C. laws," said Joe Biden via the White House's proclamation.

The U.S. government said that the federal pardon can be taken advantage of by thousands of people with district and federal convictions, as reported by USA Today.

Joe Biden explained that Americans who are just using or possessing marijuana should not be imprisoned. Because of this, he urged American governments to pardon state offenses.

"Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It's time that we right these wrongs," he said.

Is Joe Biden's Marijuana Usage Pardon Really Helpful?

(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images) A marijuana activist holds a flag during a march on Independence Day on July 4, 2021, in Washington, DC. Members of the group Fourth of July Hemp Coalition gathered outside the White House for its annual protest on marijuana prohibition which the group said dated back to more than 50 years ago during the Nixon Administration.

Patrick Nightingale, a Pittsburgh-based criminal defense attorney, said that they will 100% accept any effort to help Americans with cannabis-linked convictions.

These include federal and state convictions since the attitude of the U.S. toward cannabis is already evolving. He said that he would support what the president plans, but he didn't think the pardon would help a lot of people.

"I will take whatever the president can give us, but it's just not really going to affect that many people," he said.

Patrick and other experts explained that the new federal pardon may not be as helpful as other people would think since the federal government rarely prosecutes citizens for simply using or possessing marijuana.