Justice Department Launches Application for Biden Cannabis Pardons

The U.S. Justice Department last week launched an application for eligible individuals to receive certificate of proof that they were pardoned under the October 6, 2022, proclamation by President Joe Biden (D). 

The proclamation gave a full, unconditional, and categorical pardon for prior federal and Washington D.C. offenses of simple possession of cannabis.

The president’s pardon may assist pardoned individuals by removing civil or legal disabilities – such as voting restrictions and bans on holding office or sitting on a jury – that are imposed because of the now-pardoned conviction. The application may also be helpful as proof of pardon for those who seek to obtain licenses, bonding, or employment, the Justice Department said in a press release. At the time of the pardon proclamation, Biden said his action intended to “help relieve the consequences arising from these convictions.”   

To be eligible for a certificate, an applicant must have been charged or convicted of simple cannabis possession in either a federal or D.C. Superior Court and the applicant must have been lawfully within the U.S. at the time of the offense. Similarly, an individual must have been a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident on October 6, 2022, the Justice Department said. 

Those who were convicted of state marijuana offenses do not qualify for the federal pardon relief.