Pres. Biden’s proclamation on “Second Chance Month” highlights cannabis pardons.
President Joe Biden on Friday issued a proclamation that again declared April “Second Chance Month,” or a time in which “we recommit to helping people forge the new beginnings they have earned and building a safer and more just society.”
Biden announced in October his call for a scheduling review of cannabis, and that he would move to pardon low-level cannabis offenses.
Biden used the proclamation to reiterate his work on cannabis pardons, noting:
“Last fall, I announced a full pardon for Federal and D.C. simple possession offenses, while calling on other elected officials to do the same at the State and local levels where most marijuana prosecutions take place,” the proclamation said.
“We have also taken historic steps to end our Nation’s failed approach to marijuana. Sending people to prison for possession has upended too many lives for conduct that many States no longer prohibit. It has seen Black and Brown Americans disproportionately arrested, prosecuted, and convicted; and imposed unfair barriers to housing, employment, and education.”
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America continues cannabis push.
Just weeks after releasing its updated proposed framework for federal cannabis regulation, first issued in 2021, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America is again rallying for constituents to put pressure on Congress.
This week, the group circulated WSWA leadership’s recent remarks during Access LIVE, WSWA’s annual event.
“We believe that the successful state-based regulatory model which has served America’s consumers and our industry so well, should be a part of the discussion,” said Tom Cole, WSWA chair. “I call upon my industry colleagues to support our efforts and to lend your voice and experience to the conversations happening on Capitol Hill.”
WSWA president and CEO Francis Creighton spoke, too, saying, “I think we can all agree that the federal government’s inaction on cannabis isn’t working for anyone – consumers and non-consumers.”
He added: “People don’t know, and often shouldn’t trust, that what they are putting into their bodies isn’t tainted product – because there is no federal standard for testing.”
In addition to updating its “Principles for Comprehensive Federal Legalization and Oversight of the Adult-use Cannabis Supply Chain” last month, WSWA wrote a letter to Congressional leadership to share those principles and to call for federal legalization.
+ More: WSWA has been steadily building its case for cannabis for years, as Cannabis Wire first reported on the group’s interests back in 2018, and, shortly thereafter, on its lobbying.
How do New Jersey residents feel about cannabis, one year after the launch of legal sales?
The New Jersey State Policy Lab, at Rutgers University, polled 2,000 residents about their views on cannabis – the first such effort in the state since sales went live one year ago.
There’s a lot to unpack in the full report, but a couple of noteworthy takeaways:
While only half of the respondents answered a question about their own cannabis consumption, of those, 27% said they consume.
And, roughly 63% support home cultivation, which was not included in the state’s adult use law.
“The main thrust of the data is, basically, a very large percentage of residents thinks it’s okay to purchase and use marijuana for personal consumption,’’ said Charles Menifield, professor and dean emeritus of the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers. “The findings are consistent with citizens’ perceptions based on their votes approving the ballot referendum.’’
