President Biden wants a speedy review to potentially reschedule or deschedule cannabis as an illegal drug, U.S. Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra told the press in Tampa, Florida, last Friday.
“The president was very clear — he wants this done as quickly as possible,” Becerra said, according to the Florida Phoenix. “It’s not new science, but there’s a lot of information to gather because, in many states, marijuana has been legalized for either medical purposes or recreational purposes.”
Last Wednesday, Biden announced he would pardon all federal pot convicts, but only for “simple possession.” While the mass pardoning could potentially benefit thousands of Americans, it’s not exactly the leap in reforms needed to end the nation’s whimpering War on Weed. But it’s a start for an administration that’s mostly done nothing for cannabis in its first two years.
In reality, a scant number of people are in federal prisons over “simple possession.” Most federal cannabis convicts are in the slammer for trafficking, which usually involves pounds or tons of weed, not a few grams or ounces.
However, during Biden’s pardoning announcement, he also launched a fresh Department of Justice review regarding cannabis’s legal status. And here’s why that could be a big deal.