White House Touts Biden’s ‘Groundbreaking’ Marijuana Pardons, Saying There’s ‘More To Come’ Before He Leaves Office

As President Joe Biden comes under increased pressure to expand his marijuana pardons before his term ends, the White House says there’s going to be “more to come” in the way of clemency actions in the “upcoming weeks,” without specifying whether that will involve people currently incarcerated over cannabis.

During a briefing on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was repeatedly asked about any plans from the administration to extend clemency before he leaves office, whether that might involve political allies who could be targeted by the incoming Trump administration or those who Biden has identified as having been unfairly criminalized, such as people incarcerated over marijuana.

“I’m not going to get ahead of the president, but what I can say is that the president is reviewing other pardons and commutations,” she said.

“There’s a process the president’s going to go through,” Jean-Pierre added later in the briefing. “I hope folks don’t forget what the president has been able to do—the actions that he’s been able to take over the last four years.”

Among those accomplishments, she said, are his “groundbreaking categorical pardons that the president issued to address marijuana possession convictions and military convictions in the LGBTQ+ community,” as well as commutations for select individuals with other nonviolent drug convictions.

“This president’s commitment has been very clear” with respect to addressing “inequalities of the criminal justice system,” the press secretary said, adding that Biden has been “very steadfast, and has made a difference” to that end.

“There’s going to be more to speak to in the upcoming weeks, and so certainly the president will address it,” Jean-Pierre said.

“Commutations and pardons are usually done when it’s the president’s final term, historically around the holidays,” she said “And so, certainly, there’ll be more to come.”

A main reason the pardon issue was a central talking point during Friday’s press briefing is because Biden broke a pledge not to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who was federally charged with gun- and tax-related offenses. After he announced that clemency, advocates were quick to reiterate the need for the president to free people still in federal prison over marijuana.

Beyond the White House talks about pardons for people who might be politically targeted under the incoming Trump administration, there are separate conversations within the Oval Office about granting clemency to people with other federal convictions—including for nonviolent drug offenses—The New York Times reported.

A coalition of 14 Democratic congressional lawmaker has separately urged Biden to significantly expand his marijuana pardons and issue updated guidance to formally deprioritize federal cannabis prosecutions before his administration comes to an end.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) are also promoting a drug policy reform group’s call for the president or future administrations to issue an executive order to ensure equity in federal marijuana laws and more broadly shift the country away from the drug war.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 67 Democratic members of Congress has separately called on Biden to expand on his executive clemency work in the final months of his term, citing his past marijuana pardons as an example of his ability to provide “life-changing” relief to Americans.

Biden also recently discussed his administration’s cannabis actions and reiterated his belief that criminalization over minor marijuana offenses is an outdated policy during a speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 2024 Phoenix Awards Dinner.

In the background, the Biden administration’s push to reschedule marijuana is ongoing, with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) kicking off an administrative hearing into the proposal this week. Based on the DEA administrative law judge’s schedule for the merit-based future hearings, however, a potential final rule would not be issued under after Biden leaves office next month.

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