Biden Under Pressure: Grant Clemency To Federal Cannabis Prisoners, Get Answers On Barriers To Marijuana Research

Thirty-six Congress members are urging President Biden to grant clemency to people serving time in federal prisons for nonviolent marijuana offenses. Led by Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chairs Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), they sent a letter to the President on Wednesday.

"The continued incarceration of these individuals continues the racist legacy of the War on Drugs, contradicts the current societal and legal trends regarding marijuana, and represents an unnecessary burden on our morals and justice system," the letter says.

The lawmakers stressed that with 38 states having legalized medical use, and 24 states having legal recreational cannabis, the stigma on the plant is fading.

The letter pointed out that the House passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act twice. MORE seeks to remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act, which would allow states to legalize cannabis, its production and sale free from federal interference.

"Until the day Congress sends you a marijuana reform bill to sign, you have a unique ability to lead on criminal justice reform and provide immediate relief to thousands of Americans," the letter stipulates.

By the way, cannabis policy reform will surely be among the hottest topics at Benzinga’s cannabis event next month. The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is returning to Florida at a new venue on April 16 and 17, 2024.

What About Cannabis Pardons?

The latest cannabis reform push from Congress comes on the heels of Biden's recent State of the Union speech, during which he reiterated that no one should be incarcerated for possessing cannabis.

Biden announced last year that he was pardoning thousands of people who were convicted for the use and/or simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia. 2023 pardons included offenses related to “use and possession on certain Federal lands,” – provisions that were not covered by Biden's October 2022 pardon of some 6,500 federal cannabis prisoners.

Pardons are meant to remove barriers to housing, employment and educational opportunities, though they don’t expunge criminal records.

In this week's letter, Congress members applauded Biden's administration for pushing to "correct our country's failed approach to marijuana." However, they said those efforts have not resulted in the expungement of criminal records, as previously promised, reported Marijuana Moment.

"Unfortunately, none of the previous pardons released a single person from federal prison for marijuana offenses," the bipartisan group of lawmakers said. "The general pardon also failed to provide much relief to those haunted by criminal records – the bulk of federal marijuana cases involve felony offenses, which, unlike the misdemeanors you pardoned, impose serious civil disabilities."

See also: Weed Could Be Biden’s Ace Up The Sleeve Against Trump If He Would Fulfill His Campaign Promises

A Long Overdue Cannabis Research Report

Meanwhile, in a separate letter, Blumenauer alongside his chamber colleague Andy Harris, M.D. (R-MD) demanded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram remedy the "ineffective implementation" of the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act.

Biden signed the historic marijuana research bill into law in 2022. That bill directed the HHS to identify policies that inhibit cannabis research and to recommend ways to overcome those barriers.

That letter, sent on Tuesday, urges the HHS to provide Congress with an overdue report.

"We are deeply troubled by recent reporting that the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act is not being implemented in line with congressional intent," the lawmakers wrote. "It is unacceptable that researchers continue to face harmful barriers to cannabis research after Congress expressly encouraged research into this substance."

Now read: Elizabeth Warren Tells DEA ‘To Join The 21st Century’ And Deschedule Cannabis: ‘Guys… It’s Not 1954’

Join this important conversation at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Florida, at the new venue in Hollywood on April 16 and 17, 2024. The two-day event at The Diplomat Beach Resort is a chance for entrepreneurs, both large and small, to network, learn and grow. Renowned for its trendsetting abilities and influence on the future of cannabis, mark your calendars – this conference is the go-to event of the year for the cannabis world.

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