President Joe Biden announced steps he’s taking to reform marijuana laws, including pardoning 6,500 people with federal possession convictions.
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President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on Thursday to pardon people convicted of simple marijuana possession. The president also is urging governors to do the same in states, as most convictions happen at a state level.
“Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana,” Biden said in a video announcement. “It’s time that we right these wrongs.” Biden is taking this action as part of a step to fulfill a campaign promise, given that the efforts in Congress to address the issue have stalled, White House officials said.
The notion of legalizing marijuana at the federal level has been gaining steam in recent years, and many states have already approved the substance for medicinal purposes, with a handful giving the OK to recreational use. Before he was elected, Biden had called for marijuana decriminalization on the campaign trail and in April pardoned nine federal offenders.
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