Biden Pardons The Potheads
One small step toward justice.
Today, Joe Biden pardoned thousands of people who had been charged for possession of cannabis by the federal government and thousands more in Washington D.C. and said that his administration would be reassessing the federal government’s stance on pot.
“Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives — for conduct that is legal in many states,” the president tweeted. “That’s before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs.”
I’m personally in favor of total decriminalization and legalization of cannabis. It’s a natural plant that you can grow at home. It’s not particularly addictive or dangerous. People will smoke it (or eat it or drink it) whether or not the government has laws in place. People should not be imprisoned for putting a substance in their own bodies.
I take a pretty libertarian stance on this issue. I believe possession of all drugs should be decriminalized, though I won’t go so far as to say all drugs (and the sale of said drugs) should be legal. Meth, for instance, is a horrific blight upon the world and while I don’t think users should go to prison (they need treatment!) I can’t really get behind the idea that cooks or dealers should be free to peddle that crap. (Sorry, my daughter and I are watching the final season of Breaking Bad right now so I have meth on my mind).
In any case, this is a good first step toward more freedom, more justice, more equality, a more compassionate society. We have too many people in our overstuffed prisons. We have too many laws designed to make people behave when we ought to be using softer, gentler tactics when it comes to “sin” policies. Taxes, regulations, safety measures, drug treatment, access to free healthcare and mental healthcare, help for homeless populations that isn’t just “yes, by all means set up tent cities in our public parks what could possibly go wrong?”
So yeah. Good job Biden. I am not a big Biden cheerleader (mainly I’m happy I don’t have to hear about the president every damn day anymore) but this is a win.
I talk about this and my own run-in with the law as a youth in the below video.
Thanks for reading and subscribing, my dearest droogies!
Glad that Biden had the courage to act.
Far too many people had their lives ruined for a victimless crime.
And as usual, it was the poor and unconnected who paid the highest price.
We jail far too many of our citizens.