On Thursday, President Biden announced in a video statement he was pardoning thousands of people convicted in federal courts for the possession of cannabis.

Speaking-specifically, he issued full pardons to anyone charged in a federal court under the sentencing guidelines for the simple possession of the Schedule 1 drug nationwide and D.C.

The New York Times estimates this will clear the rap sheet over perhaps more than 7,500 non-violent drug offenders held in federal prisons.

The pardons stop short of those convicted of selling or trafficking cannabis, as well as anyone charged in state courts for breaching state laws, but he said to continue locking up people for cannabis "makes no sense."

"The federal government currently classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance," he said, "the same as heroin and LSD and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense."

It's the kind of sweeping move that Democratic voters have been waiting a long time for, as during the 2020 Democratic debates it was almost unanimous opinion that the federal government should do more to relax restrictions on cannabis, particularly with the scheduling being as harsh as cocaine or heroine.

The pardon will remove barriers for anyone looking to apply for a credit card, mortgage, university, employment, or federal benefits, and Biden urged state governors to follow his lead.

Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Hear from @POTUS on the three steps he is taking to right these wrongs. pic.twitter.com/IqOxHxjgue

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 6, 2022

Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Hear from @POTUS on the three steps he is taking to right these wrongs. pic.twitter.com/IqOxHxjgue

"Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives — for conduct that is legal in many states," Mr. Biden said on Twitter on Thursday. "That's before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs."

He added that there should still be important limitations on the trafficking and sale of cannabis, indicating that his change in position likely falls short of federal decriminalization, and probably steps in line with the policies laid out by some states.

For thousands of families who will get to see their loved ones out of from federal people-cages, it's an October Surprise in a delightful sense of the phrase.

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