As the annual 4/20 cannabis celebration takes place worldwide, advocacy groups are urging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to do more at the federal level to address the harms caused by marijuana prohibition, especially its disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities.
In a letter to the president and vice president, the Marijuana Justice Coalition – comprising organizations like the Drug Policy Alliance, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Center for American Progress – stated, “It is a moral imperative that marijuana be decriminalized and descheduled.”
The coalition emphasized that marijuana criminalization has been “devastating” for communities of color, noting Black people are four times more likely than whites to be arrested for possession despite similar usage rates. Additionally, over 85% of those sentenced for federal marijuana charges are Black or Latino.
While acknowledging the White House’s “initial steps” toward reform, the groups called on the administration to fulfill Biden’s 2020 campaign promise of decriminalizing marijuana federally.
“Folks are wanting to see the Biden administration, at the very least in its rhetoric, keep up the same energy that it did in 2020,” said Cat Packer of the Drug Policy Alliance. “It really feels like we’re backtracking in this moment.”
As a candidate, Biden pledged to decriminalize marijuana and automatically expunge prior convictions. Since taking office, he has issued pardons for simple possession and called for a review of marijuana’s classification under the Controlled Substances Act.
However, Packer noted marijuana reform seems absent from the administration’s racial equity agenda, potentially “a calculation” aimed at appealing to conservatives amid backlash against diversity initiatives.
Advocates argue that with states rapidly legalizing cannabis, the time is ripe for broader federal action to rectify the disproportionate harm caused by decades of prohibition, especially in minority communities.