Biden Dodges Question About Releasing Marijuana Prisoners Before Leaving Office, As He Previously Promised He Would Do

President Joe Biden declined to respond to a question over the weekend about whether he plans to fulfill his campaign promise to release people still imprisoned for marijuana before his term ends later this month.

Following a ceremony where Biden awarded various figures with Presidential Medals of Freedom recognizing their contributions to national interests on Saturday, New York Post reporter Steven Nelson called out to the president, asking “will you honor your campaign pledge to release all marijuana inmates?”

Biden didn’t acknowledge the question, exiting the event without talking to attending press.

With just two weeks until President-elect Donald Trump assumes the office again following his November election victory, there’s been added pressure on Biden to make good on his promise and take executive action to ensure nobody is incarcerated over non-violent federal cannabis convictions.

But while the White House has indicated that there are still clemency options being considered, there’s been no additional confirmation that Biden plans to go beyond the pardons and commutations he’s already issued for simple marijuana possession offenses.

A main reason the pardon issue became a central talking point last month is because the president broke a pledge not to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who was federally charged with gun- and tax-related offenses. After he announced that clemency, advocates were quick to reiterate the need for the president to free people still in federal prison over marijuana.

A coalition of 14 Democratic congressional lawmakers has separately urged Biden to significantly expand his marijuana pardons and issue updated guidance to formally deprioritize federal cannabis prosecutions before his administration comes to an end.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and former Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) are also promoting a drug policy reform group’s call for the president or future administrations to issue an executive order to ensure equity in federal marijuana laws and more broadly shift the country away from the drug war.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 67 Democratic members of Congress has separately called on Biden to expand on his executive clemency work in the final months of his term, citing his past marijuana pardons as an example of his ability to provide “life-changing” relief to Americans.

Biden also recently discussed his administration’s cannabis actions and reiterated his belief that criminalization over minor marijuana offenses is an outdated policy during a speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 2024 Phoenix Awards Dinner.

In the background, the Biden administration’s push to reschedule marijuana is ongoing, with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) kicking off an administrative hearing into the proposal last month. Based on the DEA administrative law judge’s schedule for the merit-based future hearings, however, a potential final rule would not be issued under after Biden leaves office.

Meanwhile, a recent poll found that a majority of Americans are in favor of clemency for everyone who’s been federally criminalized over cannabis, as well as broader drug possession.