Biden Moves On Marijuana: How Big Of A Deal Is This?
1A - A podcast by NPR
President Biden surprised the nation when he announced he would pardon all simple marijuana convictions at the federal level. It's a decision that echoes policy at the state level. Thirty-one states and D.C. no longer prosecute or criminalize a person for possessing small amounts of cannabis. Experts say the bigger move was his request for the government to review marijuana's classification as a Schedule 1 drug – a category reserved for dangerous narcotics like heroin. We discuss what it would mean if marijuana is rescheduled and national drug policy. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.