Must governors follow Biden’s cannabis pardon?

“I don’t think there’s going to be a high enough level of concern in the short term, and probably not even in the longer term,” said Gregg Peppin, a Republican political strategist, when speaking about the Republican Party and its plans for the November election.

“The battle lines have been hardened on the issues of this election. Republicans are campaigning on economic issues and public safety,” he said.

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Even if some governors wanted to heed Biden’s advice, their state’s legislature could make that difficult, as it has laws preventing mass pardons for certain groups of people. POLITICO suggests this is the case for states like Minnesota, Louisiana and Kansas.

In theory, Biden’s pardon should affect around 6,500 people with state possession convictions. However, it is unclear how this will be done, as the Justice Department needs to determine who meets the administration’s criteria, and it is very likely that some individuals who deserve a pardon will fall short due to bureaucracy.

RELATED: Biden Announces Pardons for All Federal Marijuana Possession Convictions

As always, marijuana will continue to advance and evolve slowly, with political parties pushing their agendas while thousands of people share in the consequences. Despite the complexity surrounding the issue, Biden’s pardon marks the most significant marijuana news in decades and is a moment that should be celebrated by marijuana enthusiasts of all stripes.