On Oct. 6, 2022, President Joe Biden released two groundbreaking official White House statements. One provides all persons incarcerated for violating the Controlled Substances Act through simple possession of cannabis with a full presidential pardon. While this is a groundbreaking act in and of itself, it is nothing compared to Biden’s second proclamation, which has some major implications for cannabis use across the nation, especially on our own University of Denver campus.
Our campus lies within the state of Colorado, a state in which cannabis has been legalized since 2012. Despite this, the University of Denver still prohibits the possession and use of the substance. According to university policy, because DU is a federally funded institution, it must comply with federal regulations. This means that even students in possession of cannabis for medical use are forbidden from possession and use on campus, a fact many at DU have objected to.
Biden’s second proclamation, however, urges the Secretary of Health and Human Services as well as the Attorney General to change the classification of cannabis. As is further explained below, this would remove the “harmful” label from cannabis and allow eligible students to freely possess legal amounts of cannabis on campus.
Throughout the rest of the nation, however, the criminalization of cannabis has had far more destructive effects. The ban on cannabis is not simply a substance or health issue, but a racial one. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, cannabis use is nearly uniform between Black Americans and white Americans, yet Black Americans are arrested four times more than white people for cannabis possession. In some states, such as Iowa and Minnesota, black people are anywhere between 7.5 and 8.5 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession.
Arrests for drug possession uproot families and ruin lives. Such a clear bias in law enforcement action presents a clear attack on people of color in our nation. President Biden cited this bias as a driving force behind his second major announcement on Oct. 6.
In addition to the swaths of pardons granted, Biden laid out his plan for a complete reformation of the federal treatment of cannabis. The pardons were listed as the first step in this three-phase plan. The next step listed in the process is putting federal pressure on state governors to grant their own, state-level pardons. This would free inmates in local prisons who are being held for cannabis possession. It remains to be seen if all state governors will heed this call.
The final, most impactful step in Biden’s reform plan is the reclassification of cannabis. According to the DEA’s Schedule of Drugs, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug. This is the highest, most severe ranking a substance can achieve; a rank shared by drugs such as meth, LSD and ecstasy. Drugs of this ranking are considered more dangerous than synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and oxycodone, which were responsible for more than 56,000 deaths in 2020, according to the CDC. The final swing of Biden’s cannabis reform hammer will involve moving cannabis to a lower, more appropriate classification.
These actions have many layers of bureaucratic obstacles and opposition to move through before becoming reality. However, the Biden administration has shown a clear drive and social conscientiousness when it comes to the topic of cannabis legalization. It now lies on the shoulders of the voters to make their intentions clear to local and state governments. Regardless of one’s opinions on the Biden administration’s proclamation, this November is the time to act on them.
Visit this site to learn more about voter registration in Colorado. Your vote could help create a more equitable America and a greener DU.
