WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 President Joe Biden pardoned thousands of people who were convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, the White House said Friday, in his latest round of executive clemencies meant to rectify racial disparities in the justice system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The categorical pardon builds on a similar round issued just before the 2022 midterm elections<\/a> that pardoned thousands convicted of simple possession on federal lands eligible. Friday\u2019s action broadens the criminal offenses covered by the pardon. Biden is also granting clemency to 11 people serving what the White House called \u201cdisproportionately long\u201d sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biden, in a statement, said his actions would help make the \u201cpromise of equal justice a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCriminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,\u201d Biden said. \u201cToo many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It\u2019s time that we right these wrongs.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n No one was freed from prison under last year\u2019s action, but the pardons were meant to help thousands overcome obstacles to renting a home or finding a job. Similarly, no federal prisoners are eligible for release as a result of Friday\u2019s pardon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the order expands the grounds on which pardons are issued. In the last round, people were pardoned for simple possession under only one criminal statute. Friday\u2019s pardons also apply to several other criminal statutes, including attempted simple possession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biden\u2019s order applies only to marijuana, which has been decriminalized or legalized in many states for some or all uses, but remains a controlled substance under federal law. U.S. regulators are studying reclassifying<\/a> the drug from the category of drugs deemed to have \u201cno currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,\u201d known as \u201cSchedule I,\u201d to the less tightly regulated \u201cSchedule III.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pardon also does not apply to those in the U.S. unlawfully at the time of their offense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biden\u2019s proclamation effectively pardons the covered people, but they will need to submit applications to the Justice Department\u2019s pardon attorney office to receive certificates of pardon that can be used for housing and employment purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biden on Friday reiterated his call on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n