On Oct 6, 2022 President Biden officially announced his ambitious plans for marijana reform in this country. In the statement published by The White House, he took a strong position by stating, “Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit. Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities.”   The U.S. has the largest imprisoned population on Earth, with 2.3 million Americans behind bars. The Washington Post reports that approximately 47.5% of that enormous population are the individuals labeled under “drug offenses.” Biden has put forward a three-step plan in the hopes of reducing this number and aiding those already affected. 

  Step one is the pardoning of all prior federal convictions for simple marijauna possession. The action is intended to help lift the burden of a conviction from the shoulders of those trying to move on by getting a job, owning a home, or reaching higher education. Step two is the urging of governors to apply this ruling to state-level offenses. 

The third and final step is where Biden involves the Department of Health and Human Services. He has asked the Secretary of this agency to  “initiate the administrative process to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.” 

  Marijuana is in the same hazard group as drugs like heroin and LSD, and Biden hopes to re-class the drug. He ends the statement by reaffirming that no laws related to under-age selling, trafficking, or marketing will change.