LANSING, Mich., Oct. 10, 2022 — President Biden pardoned thousands of people on Thursday who were convicted of marijuana possession under federal law. Simple possession became a crime in the 1970s, and the pardons will clear all who have been convicted since then. The presidential action will help remove obstacles for those convicted and trying to find employment or housing or applying to college. State Rep. Cynthia A. Johnson (D-Detroit), Legislative Cannabis Caucus chair, is a strong advocate for marijuana legalization, decriminalization and fair trade in the cannabis industry, issued the following statement:
“I’m thrilled and happy to see President Biden take this action. I have no doubt Gov. Whitmer will follow suit. For too long, people have been arrested and placed in jail for simply possessing marijuana. Many people have been in prison for years and years for simply having marijuana. It’s past time that this action was taken. This is one of many actions needed to start fixing the racial disparities in our country. While this is a good first step, there is still a lot of work to be done in moving Black, brown and disenfranchised communities toward equal and equitable treatment in the U.S.”
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