Joe Biden has pardoned thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession in a move described as “long overdue”.

It could herald federal legalization and even set in motion a wider reappraisal of drug prohibition.

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The president also called on the secretary of health and the attorney general to begin the administrative process to review marijuana’s scheduling in the highest bracket of federal law

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Higher than the classification of fentanyl and methamphetamine, two drugs that are fueling an overdose epidemic.

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The pardons cover “simple possession”, which is a low-level offense, meaning people imprisoned for trafficking, sales or other marijuana charges will not be covered.

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The White House said no one is currently incarcerated in federal prison solely for “simple possession”.

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DeAnna Hoskins, president of JustLeadershipUSA, highlighted that the president was behind the infamous crime bill in 1994 that paved the way for the “war on drugs”.

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Biden has acknowledged that “while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted at

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