DNC Touts Biden’s Cannabis Pardons and Rescheduling Efforts, Calls for Broader Expungement Reforms
Washington, D.C. – As the November elections approach, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is emphasizing President Joe Biden’s initiatives on marijuana reform, highlighting his pardons and rescheduling efforts as part of a broader strategy to address criminal justice issues. The party’s latest draft platform, approved by a committee on Tuesday, stops short of promoting broader cannabis decriminalization, a notable shift from the 2020 platform.
The DNC is also criticizing former President Donald Trump, the newly named Republican presidential nominee, for his administration’s anti-cannabis actions. Biden’s cannabis pardons are described as one of the “historic steps” he has taken to promote criminal justice reform. “No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,” the platform states, echoing the president’s frequent remarks.
Economic and Social Impact
The platform underscores the negative impacts of incarcerating individuals for marijuana possession, highlighting how such records can create barriers to employment, housing, and education, disproportionately affecting Black and brown communities. “Sending people to prison for possession has upended too many lives,” it states. “Those criminal records impose needless barriers… disproportionately affecting Black and brown people.”
President Biden’s actions include pardoning those convicted federally for marijuana use or possession and urging governors to do the same for state-level offenses. Additionally, his administration is moving to reschedule marijuana, so it is no longer classified as more dangerous than substances like fentanyl or methamphetamine.
Political Reactions
Gay Valimont, a DNC delegate running against incumbent Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), highlighted Biden’s actions at the DNC Platform Committee hearing, emphasizing the president’s efforts to reschedule marijuana and pardon those convicted of marijuana-only offenses.
However, while the platform commits to expunging federal marijuana-only convictions, it does not explicitly mention decriminalizing cannabis. Biden’s campaign initially included decriminalization, but he has been largely silent on the issue since taking office. Vice President Kamala Harris recently called for broader marijuana legalization during a closed-door discussion with pardon recipients, indicating some support within the administration for more comprehensive reform.
Comparative Party Positions
The current DNC platform omits broader decriminalization and medical marijuana legalization, both of which were included in the 2020 platform. This contrasts sharply with the 2024 GOP platform, which promotes an anti-drug agenda without specifically addressing marijuana. The GOP platform includes promises to “crack down hard on” and “demolish” drug cartels.
Democrats are leveraging the stark differences between Biden’s and Trump’s cannabis policies. The DNC’s draft platform criticizes the Trump administration for threatening federal prosecution in states where marijuana was legal, rescinding Obama-era guidance that allowed for more state-level discretion.
Campaign Strategies
The Biden campaign is highlighting these policy differences through email blasts and online advertisements, portraying Biden as the better choice for voters who support cannabis reform. Biden reiterated his stance on social media, tweeting, “I’m making sure no one goes to jail for mere use or possession of marijuana, and their records should be expunged. It’s time we right those historic wrongs.”
Vice Presidential Impact
The DNC’s platform vote occurred one day after Trump announced Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) as his vice presidential pick. Vance supports states’ rights to set their own cannabis laws but has opposed broader legalization and bipartisan cannabis banking legislation.
While the DNC and the Biden campaign aim to distinguish themselves from Republicans on marijuana policy reform, the adopted positions still fall short of what many Americans, particularly left-leaning voters, support: federal legalization of marijuana. Despite Biden’s significant steps, the party’s platform reflects a cautious approach, balancing progress with pragmatism in a contentious election year.
