US President Joe Biden announced Thursday, October 6, the cancellation of all federal convictions for simple possession of cannabis. “No one should be imprisoned for simply consuming or possessing cannabis”he said on Twitter, calling on state governors to follow this path and pardon those convicted of a simple offense of possession of cannabis.
As I’ve said before, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Today, I’m taking steps to e… https://t.co/zTYiHFSKJA
While the movement for the decriminalization of cannabis is resonating strongly in the United States, the president has also called on health and judicial authorities to rethink the penalties associated with the consumption or possession of marijuana. Mr. Biden, however, insisted on the importance of continuing the fight against cannabis trafficking and its sale to minors.
A first step towards the reclassification of marijuana
These new measures also aim to rectify criminal proceedings that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities, justified the president. Nineteen of the fifty US states, as well as the federal capital, Washington, have legalized the use of cannabis for recreational purposes for adults.
In most states, the medical use of cannabis is permitted to varying degrees, from the use of oils containing a low level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive principle of cannabis) to that of pure marijuana. Only a handful of ultra-conservative and rural states, such as Idaho, Wyoming or Nebraska, remain intransigent.
Strangely, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. Joe Biden’s announcement on Thursday, however, symbolizes a first step towards his reclassification. Marijuana use among young Americans reached record levels last year, according to a recent study.