Only 3 Minnesotans eligible for Biden marijuana pardon since 1992, data show – Duluth News TribunePosted by On


WASHINGTON — Though an October announcement from President Joe Biden promised pardons to individuals federally convicted of simple possession of marijuana, a review of federal court data indicates that only three Minnesotans could be receiving clemency.

Making note that marijuana convictions have “upended” too many lives, Biden took to the media Oct. 6 to announce an overhaul of how the federal government and federal law enforcement agencies handle the drug, which currently is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, alongside drugs such as ecstasy, heroin and LSD.

In addition to calling on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Health and Human Services to “expeditiously” review the process of rescheduling marijuana, Biden announced a proclamation to pardon all prior federal offenses for simple marijuana possession, a move expected to restore certain rights to as many as 6,577 American citizens and legal aliens convicted over the past two decades.

According to data from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), only three such convictions have been seen in the District of Minnesota between 1992 and 2021 — the oldest data compiled in the commission’s report.

Of the 94 judicial districts in the United States, 68 districts — including Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota — saw fewer than 50 convictions during the same time period. The Districts of Arizona, Western Texas and Southern…

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