As the race for the White House opens, President of the United States of America Joe Biden has highlighted his efforts on the legalization of cannabis, an issue that has the attention of young voters. “No one should be imprisoned for using or possessing marijuana,” he said of the “State of the Union.” In 2022, Biden pardoned thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law and called on authorities to regularize the phenomenon because he found it absurd that the government controlled cannabis more strictly than cocaine or fentanyl. Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services recommended removing marijuana from the harder, more restrictive drug category, where it has remained for more than 50 years along with heroin and LSD. The DEA, which will have the final say on the designation, said, according to the Wall Street Journal, that its review was ongoing.
No one should be imprisoned simply for using or possessing marijuana.
– President Biden (@POTUS) March 8, 2024
Roll call during the State of the Union address
The president's call for cannabis reform came during the State of the Union address, an annual report presented by the head of the White House during a joint session of Congress. Additionally, Biden also discussed the massive pardons he has issued to thousands of people convicted of drug possession. “Cannabis rescheduling has the potential to significantly transform the landscape for all legal practitioners, consumers and patients, across the country,” Matt Hawkins, founder and managing partner of Entourage Effect Capital, told Forbes. “On one hand, it will eliminate the 280E tax burden, which currently prohibits businesses in many states from deducting necessary business expenses from their federal tax returns, thereby preventing many operators from reaching their full growth potential.”
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