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Benzinga
Benzinga
Business
Joana Scopel

Congresswoman Holmes To President Biden, DC Needs Legalization Of Cannabis Sales & Clemency Authority

Following President Biden's historic announcement to pardon all prior federal offenses of simple cannabis possession, Washington DC's Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton has a pressing request for the White House. 

While she applauded Biden's pardon, Rep. Norton is calling on the administration to allow Washington, D.C. to establish a commercial cannabis market, as well as the ability to grant clemency to itself.

While most states have some independent process by which governors and officials can grant pardons; in DC, they depend on the president to grant that relief. Therefore, Norton understands that the clemency process must be reformed.

"Under the Constitution, Congress has plenary power over both DC & territories. Congress has chosen to allow the territories to commercialize recreational marijuana and to prosecute & grant clemency for all crimes under their laws. It should choose to do the same for DC," Norton tweeted

The congresswoman also said that the policy represents a “shocking violation of D.C. home rule by a Democratic administration (...) D.C. should not have to rely on the president to exercise mercy and mitigate the harms of unjust policies."

Additionally, "last month, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform passed Norton’s District of Columbia Home Rule Expansion Act, which would, among other things, give D.C. the exclusive authority to grant clemency for D.C. crimes," according to a press release.

President Biden, Please Stop Blocking Washington DC

Norton also pointed out that Biden's last two budget proposals kept a GOP-sponsored clause that prevented D.C. from using local tax dollars to implement a regulated cannabis market.

Although DC voters overwhelmingly approved cannabis legalization in 2014, Biden consistently has decided to exclude Washington, D.C. from legalizing marijuana sales as part of the fiscal year 2023 budget proposal. This has prevented the district government from implementing regulated cannabis sales each time the budget comes up.

A recent survey showed that more than two-thirds of Washington, D.C. voters want marijuana legalized while at the same time they are firmly against the crackdown on the cannabis “gifting” market.

Image by Benzinga

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