How to apply for a Biden-Weed pardon
After months of waiting, the Justice Department just went online with an online application. More than 20,000 people are eligible.
Nearly five months after promising pardons for federal convictions for marijuana possession, President Biden has actually made progress on the lawsuit.
This morning, the Department of Justice’s Parole Attorney’s Office announced the release of an application form for those seeking a reinstatement of a prior federal weed conviction.
Anyone wishing to apply can do so here via the online portal.
Here’s what you need to apply
The admission form asks for the usual information: name, address, phone, date of birth, etc.
There are also supporting documents that you may want to collect.
You will want to know:
- Which US District Court heard your case?
- The Code Section (State of Your Charge/Conviction)
- your case number
You should also have the following on hand:
- The indictment document (indictment, complaint, etc.)
- The verdict of condemnation or condemnation
You need to take a photo of these documents and then save them as PDF files to upload to the online application form.
Here is a screenshot of what the application is asking for:
A pool of 20,000 potential applicants
According to the Justice Department, 20,000 people could be eligible for Biden’s federal weed pardon.
The clemency attorney promises that “the application for the [pardon] Certification is easy and doesn’t take long, between 10 and 30 minutes.”
They say it’s quick and easy
According to a simultaneous filing in today’s Federal Register, the application may require 10 minutes to two hours of effort, including research, phone calls and interviews with the necessary personnel to obtain the appropriate documentation.
This only applies to federal, not state, convictions
To be clear, this process only affects individuals with federal cannabis convictions. Biden does not have the authority to pardon convicts in state courts. The governor or legislature of each state controls these deletion procedures. Many government legalization measures include erasure requirements within the law itself.
A pardon can be helpful
Today’s Justice Department announcement included this assessment:
“The Presidential Pardon, effective October 6, 2022, may assist pardoned individuals by removing civil or legal disabilities — such as restrictions on voting, holding office, or jury membership — that may arise as a result of the pardoned conviction were imposed. The application released today may also be useful as evidence of pardon for those seeking licenses, bonds or employment.”
A big announcement and then… a long wait
The Biden administration has come under fire for months of silence after the president’s splashy announcement in October 2022.
Vice News summarized the feelings of many in this article published in January 2023:
Today’s announcement and the opening of the application portal put an end to speculation, frustration and waiting.
If you are eligible: Apply as soon as possible. It’s unclear how applications will be processed, but if it’s a first come, first served basis, get in early.
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