Last week, the House of Representatives approved a measure to federally legalize marijuana. However, hours after the bill’s passage, White House Secretary Jen Psaki declined to address whether President Joseph Biden supported this particular measure, instead stating that the president agreed that the country’s current cannabis laws weren’t working.
The House passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which is set to advance to the Senate.
Psaki, who was also asked about President Biden’s position on the legislation, stated that the president agreed that the approach to marijuana policy needed to be reevaluated. She then repeated remarks that the president had made on the campaign trail, which included the need to support the safe use of cannabis for medical purposes, conduct more research on the effects of cannabis, and address the systemic inequities and racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
The MORE Act has provisions that support these objectives. Additionally, it will remove cannabis from its classification in the Controlled Substances Act, promote equity in the cannabis industry and levy a tax on marijuana sales to fund a number of programs.
Despite expressing his support for allowing states to establish their own policies on the campaign trail, Biden doesn’t seem to be pro adult-use legalization. Vice President Kamala Harris seems to share the same sentiments, stating in 2021 that the Biden administration was overburdened with other issues and wasn’t focused on following through on its promises on cannabis reform.
The president campaigned on some marijuana reform pledges, such as legalization for medical use, cannabis rescheduling and expungements. However, he has acted on none of them, despite being in office for more than a year. Additionally, he hasn’t publicly commented on marijuana policy since he was elected into office, apart from a dismissive comment he made to a journalist who asked about clemency for federal cannabis prisoners. The lack of action on clemency from the president is particularly discouraging to those who have been calling for the White House to take action on this issue.
The president has also received letters from advocates, legislators, celebrities and those affected by criminalization to do something about the individuals who have been incarcerated based on marijuana charges. However, no action has been taken thus far. This is despite a recent report by the Congressional Research Service, which shows that Biden has the power to grant mass pardons for marijuana offenses.
The report also stated that the Biden administration could move to legalize marijuana federally, without waiting for action from legislators.
As the legislative maneuvers play out, the entire marijuana industry, including established companies such as American Cannabis Partners, will be waiting to see if the long-awaited federal legalization of marijuana finally happens this year.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to American Cannabis Partners are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/ACP
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