In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election where President Joe Biden will face off with Donald Trump, the president’s campaign is intensifying its efforts to highlight his progressive stance on marijuana policies as compared to his opponent.

On a new campaign page, the president acknowledges cannabis is not as dangerous as previously believed.

"Research tells us that marijuana is not as dangerous as we once believed — that's why the Biden-Harris Administration took a major step to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug under federal law," the campaign says.

The campaign website lashes into Trump for exacerbating the failures of past marijuana policies.

"Donald Trump opposes marijuana reform and, as president, made the failed approach worse," adding that the Trump administration "threatened federal prosecutions for marijuana in states where cannabis use is legal."

This criticism refers to the actions of Trump's Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who rescinded Obama-era guidelines that discouraged federal interference in state-level cannabis legalization efforts.

Read More: Trump Holds 4-Point Edge Over Biden In Florida Rematch: Can Cannabis Tilt The Scale As Majority Says NY Conviction Doesn’t Matter?

Too Little Too Late Or Just Right?

Biden's stance on marijuana policy reform positions him as the most “pro-cannabis president in American history," says Eric Spitz, CEO of marketing analytics start-up Rootz.ai, noting that this transformation reflects broad societal acceptance of cannabis and the president would be wise not to miss the boat.

"In this transformative time, and given his re-election campaign's need to trumpet youthfulness, Biden's well-crafted cannabis policy maneuvers may become a defining feature of his legacy," Spitz wrote in a CNN opinion piece.

The Biden campaign page indeed trumpets the administration's proactive moves on cannabis reform.

"Joe Biden has been clear for a long time that our nation's marijuana laws are outdated and are failing communities, particularly communities of color," the campaign said. "When he ran in 2020, Biden promised to fight to ensure that no one is in jail for marijuana possession alone. And since taking office, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have led the most significant federal reform to our nation's approach to marijuana in history."

It is worth noting the Biden administration dragged its collective feet in terms of cannabis reform once elected in 2020 and is now reiterating the same (unfulfilled) campaign promises ago.

Adding to the campaign’s narrative, there is also a short FAQ section on the website which elaborates on the reasons behind the president’s cannabis clemency efforts, provides a critique of Trump’s record on marijuana and explains the implications of reclassifying cannabis to Schedule III.

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