President Joe Biden has taken action to address racial disparities in sentencing and fulfill his commitment to a more just criminal justice system. On Wednesday, Biden pardoned 11 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug charges and commuted the sentences of five others. In a statement announcing the decision, Biden emphasized the importance of second chances and ensuring that everyone receives equal justice under the law.
However, the issue of nonviolent cannabis prisoners persists. Despite Biden’s repeated promises, including in his April State of the Union address, no cannabis prisoners were included in the recent clemency actions. The Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit dedicated to the release of individuals incarcerated for cannabis offenses, estimates that approximately 22,000 pot prisoners are serving time in state correctional facilities and around 10,000 in federal prisons.
Biden has previously pardoned 6,500 federal cannabis prisoners in October 2022, but critics argue that more needs to be done. The Last Prisoner Project has urged the president to release those incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis offenses, calling it a simple and necessary step to address the hypocrisy and injustice in the country’s approach to cannabis law enforcement and reform.
Biden reiterated the importance of Second Chance Month, which he and Vice President Kamala Harris launched by highlighting the administration’s cannabis pardons. This indicates that marijuana is becoming an important issue as the presidential election race approaches.
