Marijuana being rolled up
On October 6th 2022, President Biden issued a historic pardon to all of those convicted of possession of marijuana under federal law. This pardon did not extend to those convicted of selling or distributing marijuana. The pardon would extend to about 6,500 people serving time in federal prison.
The pardon has been seen as a very positive first step by many cannabis enthusiasts, and Biden’s plan to look into the rescheduling of marijuana has also been seen as a great first step into changing the stigma around the drug. Since 1970, with the passing of the Controlled Substance Act, marijuana has been labeled as a schedule 1 drug, the same category has others such as heroin and lsd. While all cannabis supporters have been encouraged by the action taken, many see this as just the first step in decriminalizing the drug and reducing the negative stigma surrounding the drug in our culture. Patrice Willoughby, vice president policy and legislative affairs at the NAACP, the famed equal rights organization, spoke on the pardon; “The failed policies on drug criminalization have ensnared many on nonviolent, marijuana offenses, And this has derailed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people for conduct which is legal and which is disproportionately applied to the African-American community."
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8 comments:
I think it's ridiculous that marijuana is placed on the same level as some of the other drugs you mentioned. Although marijuana definitely has the capacity to be dangerous, and restrictions might be necessary, I think it is a huge flaw to say that heroin or LSD are as harmful as marijuana. I think this relates to many of the federalist policies we have talked about. With more and more states legalizing marijuana and an overwhelming number of Americans believing that marijuana should be legal, we are now seeing a policy shift to a national level.
Although I am not so certain about whether the benefits of marijuana outweigh the negative, I don't believe that possession of marijuana should be evaluated at the same level as heroin or LSD. Biden's pardon could be seen that the nation could be stepping closer to legalizing marijuana, although it is still a heated debate. While some people argue that legalizing marijuana will increase regulation, others argue that the nation is essentially advertising a product that could put more dangerous drivers on the road, according to Colorado's increase in traffic deaths and accidents after marijuana was legalized. With the nation being split on marijuana legalization, I believe it is too soon to predict which side will likely win.
Criminalizing marijuana is yet another way that our justice/legal system attempts to specifically target people of color. Making marijuana at the same level of extreme as heroin allows officials to continue to increase the number of individuals within our prison system, which is already overpopulated. Hopefully, this is a step to reduce the number of people being incarcerated for an extremely minor offense, but so far, individuals charged with using marijuana have not been released since this pardon.
This makes complete sense. Why should someone be imprisoned for something that is not legal. The effects of Marijuana don't have the hazards of other drugs that had similar punishments. While this does not undo the injustices that were done in past years, it does help the people that were still being effected by these laws.
I completely agree with the previous comments made about Biden's pardon. Marijuana possession should not hold the same consequences to heroin or LSD. Not only is it significantly less dangerous than as mentioned drugs, but the criminalization of marijuana will most likely be utilized by law enforcement as yet another reason to target marginalized communities-- further worsening the injustices, and inconsistencies, present in the current legal system.
It’s definitely a good first step that these nonviolent crimes have been pardoned. I think that should be recognized. But I also think that it should be recognized that more needs to be done to reverse the damage done primarily to communities of color by the war on drugs in America. Biden has a history of supporting the efforts of the war on drugs and the incarceration that is associated with it, so I think it will be interesting to see if the Biden Administration takes more steps to reverse the damage that has been done or if this is an action the Administration is taking to gain support on other policy or in another area.
It's quite interesting how perspective on Marijuana has shifted throughout American history. The drug was widely utilized in the medical field during the 19th and early 20th century. Yet, the role of the drug in society took a more restricted turn in 1937 with the passing of the Marihuana Tax act which restricted its use and sale. Since then, thousands of Americans have been incarcerated due to possession, use, and sale charges. More recently, the opinion towards Marijuana has shifted, as many states have legalized its use and sale such as California and New York, with the list extending to cover 19 states. Biden's decision to pardon those with possession charges is a large step towards the destigmatization of the drug in America.
I would be interested to see if states like CA, where recreational marijuana is legal, have lower or higher marijuana use than states where it is banned. Marijuana is certainly not harmless, but I agree with the other comments in that it doesn't deserve the consequences that come with heroin or LSD. There is a history in the US of making the drugs used by minorities illegal with racist intent. Why should marijuana be illegal but alcohol be okay? Both have negative health effects.
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