It was short but sweet, but for the first time in history, a President of the United States mentioned cannabis reform in a State of the Union speech. President Joe Biden reiterated his stance that no one should be incarcerated for possessing cannabis.
Between heckling from Republicans and rowdy cheers from Democrats, Biden said, “I am taking executive action on police reform and directing my cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana and expunging thousands of convictions for the mere possession of marijuana because no one should be jailed for simply using it or have it on their record.”
Cannabis industry leaders were quick to respond.
“We applaud President Biden for bringing additional attention to cannabis, a plant that is now legal where almost 75 percent of Americans live,” said Bryan Barash, Dutchie’s VP, External Affairs and Deputy General Counsel. “Moving cannabis to a Schedule III classification will be a critical milestone for the industry, but it’s just the beginning of federal cannabis reforms that are necessary to help business owners succeed and provide greater choice and access to consumers.”
LeafLink’s Rodney Holcombe II, director of public policy, called the State of the Union a historic event and thanked President Biden for bringing cannabis into the conversation. “Legal cannabis has proven to be a positive force for our country, whether that is helping people manage medical issues or communities that receive tax revenue from legal sales…The move will, among other things, lower the heavy tax burden carried by cannabis companies that is especially impactful to smaller operators,” said Holcombe.
Holcombe was referring to access to cannabis banking and Small Business Administration loans, the lack of which has hamstrung the cannabis industry for years.
David Culver, US Cannabis Council’s SVP of Public Affairs said the council applauds President Biden for highlighting cannabis reform as an issue of national concern and praised the president for initiating a groundbreaking review of the status of cannabis under federal law.
“Tonight’s remarks before a national audience signal the President’s ongoing commitment to advancing cannabis reform. We are encouraged by what we heard this evening and optimistic that the Biden Administration will move cannabis down to Schedule III this year,” said Culver.
However, not everyone is impressed.
“It’s political malpractice to ignore the voters who got him here. Black and brown voters that are most affected by the War on Drugs resuscitated his failing presidential campaign following fourth and fifth place showings in New Hampshire and Iowa four years ago,” said Don Murphy, co-founder of the American Cannabis Collective. “He promised that he would stop sending people to jail for simple possession, but the arrests continue, and he is keeping the War on Drugs alive and well.”
