Biden administration proposes to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous
At the White House briefing on Thursday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke about the Department of Justice’s proposal to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous, moving it from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. Citing disparities in prosecutions between white people and people of color for marijuana possession, Jean-Pierre said, “The president’s actions today further his commitment to reverse long-standing injustices and to right historic wrongs.”
Video Transcript
As President Biden said during his campaign, no one should be in jail for using or possessing marijuana.
That's why in 2022 President Biden requested that DOJ and HHS review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.
Today, the administration is taking a major step toward reclassifying marijuana from a schedule one to a schedule three drug under federal law.
If finalized, Mari marijuana will no longer hold the higher level classification.
It currently holds over fentaNYL and meth drugs driving our nation's overdose epidemic and it will remove burdensome long-standing barriers to critical research.
This announcement builds on the work President Biden has already done to pardon a record number of federal offenses for simply possessing marijuana.
His categorical pardon for federal offenses of simple possession in October 2022 and December 2023 lifted barriers to housing small business loans and more for thousands of Americans.
The reality is while white, black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates.
Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted at disproportionately higher rates.
The president's actions today further his commitment to reverse long-standing injustices and to right historic wrongs
