All those who were found guilty of national marijuana possession convictions have received pardons from President Joe Biden.
About 6,500 people with federal convictions for basic marijuana possession are expected to benefit, according to officials.
Currently, no one is incarcerated in a federal facility purely for marijuana possession. At the state level, convictions are the norm.
However, according to Mr. Biden, federal pardons will make it simpler for people to get work, housing, and a good education.
In addition to expunging convictions, Mr. Biden pledged to decriminalise cannabis usage as a presidential candidate.
According to Mr. Biden “Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,”
He continued by saying that non-white persons had a statistically much higher likelihood of being imprisoned for cannabis.
Mr. Biden faced criticism when he ran for president in 2008 for authoring a criminal law in 1994 that increased incarceration rates for blacks while toughening penalties for drug offences.
Between 1992 and 2021, hundreds more persons were found guilty of simple possession under federal law than under D.C. laws, according to the officials. During his campaign, Biden made a vow to take the measure.
However, as most convictions take place at the state level, it is up to each governor to grant pardons.
The ruling comes as legalisation initiatives are on the November ballots in five states: Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Both the recreational and medical use of marijuana is now legal in 19 and 38 states, respectively.
