“I am announcing the pardon of all previous federal crimes for simple possession of marijuana,” Biden said in a statement.
Around 6.500 people are convicted under federal marijuana regulations, government officials told journalists. Pardon will be granted to thousands more convicts. (360º Power)
Time to check
Biden also asked health and judicial authorities to rethink penalties associated with marijuana. In Twitter post This Thursday (6) Biden stated that the granting of pardon comes to “end a failed approach” regarding the ownership of the plant.
“We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin – and more serious than fentanyl. This doesn’t make sense”, said the head of the Executive in , reinforcing the need to review the way federal laws deal with the topic.
Combating trafficking, discrimination and security
The American president, however, insisted on the importance of continuing the fight against trafficking and the sale of substances to minors deity. According to him, the new measures also aim to rectify criminal processes that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities.
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“Evoking the criminal records of people convicted of drug possession is a matter of social justice,” highlighted influential progressive legislator Pramila Jayapal.
A step towards decriminalization
Currently, the movement for the decriminalization of cannabis has strong support in the United States. In early April of this year, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to remove cannabis from the federal list of dangerous drugs. The text, however, still needs to be ratified by the Senate.
In general, the North American population is largely in favor of legalizing the plant. According to a survey carried out by the Pew Research Center last year, 91% of adults think marijuana should be legal, for medical, recreational use or both.
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Split regulation
Although marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, 19 of the 50 American states, as well as the District of Columbia, where the country's capital is located, have already legalized the consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes for adults.
Na most states, your medicinal use is authorized at different levels, from oils that contain a reduced level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) to the herb itself. Only a few ultra-conservative and rural states resist, such as Idaho, Wyoming and Nebraska. (Folha de S.Paulo)
Sales of legal marijuana in the United States were worth around 25 billion dollars last year and all experts predict that the sector will grow rapidly in the coming years.
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Call to young people
Biden's announcement this Thursday (6) symbolizes a first step towards his reclassification. Marijuana consumption among young Americans has reached unprecedented levels in 2021, according to a recent study.
The president's decision can also be interpreted as a call to this electorate, with one month left until the mid-term legislative elections.
(With AFP)
