“No one should be in jail for marijuana,” Biden said

During a brief press availability last Saturday, July 16, President Biden barked some responses to reporters upon his return to the White House aboard Marine One.

A reporter asked him, among other things, if he would keep his campaign promise to release all marijuana prisoners in federal facilities. (Biden has the power to commute or pardon prisoners in the federal prison system, but not in state prisons.)

His response: “I don’t think anyone should go to jail for using marijuana. We are now working on the Crime Bill.”

Biden’s response was… enigmatic.

As President, Biden has the power to punish or pardon just about anyone for just about any crime or judgment within the federal justice system. He doesn’t need a ticket. He doesn’t need a single vote in Congress for that. All he needs is a pen to sign the decree.

Related

America’s best-selling weed strains of summer 2022

Here is the official transcript released by the White House:

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BIDEN AFTER ARRIVAL FROM MARINE ONE

South Lawn (July 16, 2022)

Q: Is the Saudi Secretary of State, President Biden, lying? Saudi foreign minister says he hasn’t heard you accuse the crown prince of Khashoggi’s murder. Is he telling the truth?

THE PRESIDENT: No.

Q: Do you regret the fist bump, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: Why don’t you talk about something important? I would like to answer an important question.

Q: Will inflation come down from here Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: I ​​hope so. We will know in the next few weeks.

Q: President Biden, will you keep your campaign promise to release all marijuana inmates in prison?

THE PRESIDENT: I ​​don’t think anybody should go to jail for using marijuana. We’re working on the crime bill right now. Many Thanks.

END

Bruce Barcott

Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and the author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.

Check out Bruce Barcott’s articles

By submitting this form, you are subscribing to Leafly news and promotional emails and agreeing to Leafly’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email communications at any time.