Politics
Biden Tells Supporter He’s ‘Taking Care’ Of Marijuana Reform At Campaign Stop
President Joe Biden says he’s “taking care” of marijuana reform, acknowledging a supporter with a sign echoing the president’s cannabis campaign pledges.
After Biden delivered a speech in Wisconsin on Wednesday, he made brief remarks at his state campaign headquarters, where supporters held signs that said “We’re On Board” and included different reasons they back his reelection bid.
Around 4:20pm local time, the president recognized one person with a sign that said he’s “on board” because he agrees that “no one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana,” according to a White House pool report.
“I’m taking care of that, ” Biden said.
The sign’s message echoes the president’s cannabis message during his State of the Union address last week, which he also included in a social media post recapping his speech that became his most popular of the night.
Of course, the statement itself is somewhat misleading, as nobody is currently in federal prison over cannabis possession alone and two rounds of mass marijuana pardons the president has issued did not free anyone from prison. Biden has also misstated the impact of the clemency action, falsely asserting that he expunged cannabis records. Pardons constitute formal forgiveness, but they do not seal records.
Three dozen congressional lawmakers sent a letter to the president on Thursday that called on him to go further by granting clemency to all Americans who are actually incarcerated over non-violent cannabis offenses such as distribution.
In any case, the fact that Biden singled out the supporter with the marijuana sign seems to be the latest example of how the administration is recognizing the popularity of cannabis reform ahead of the November elections.
To that end, Vice President Kamala Harris is set to meet with cannabis pardon recipients at the White House on Friday to discuss their experiences under the president’s clemency proclamations.
Biden has also touted his marijuana scheduling directive that led the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to recommend that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Based on a recent poll, Biden’s cannabis moves stand to benefit him in November. The survey found the president’s favorability spiked after people were made aware of the possibility that cannabis could be rescheduled under the Biden-initiated review.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra defended the rescheduling recommendation against criticism from a GOP senator during a committee hearing on Thursday.
