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Right then. You want to talk about “who did Biden pardon,” eh? It’s always a grand kerfuffle, isn’t it? Every four years, or every eight, seems like folks get themselves into a right old tizzy about who the big man in the White House lets off the hook.
I’ve seen a fair few of these pardon cycles in my time. Back when I started, seems like it was always some last-minute drama, fellas getting their collars felt one minute, then some paperwork from washington gets ’em a get-out-of-jail-free card. Usually, some high-flyer, a mate of a politician, or someone who’d been forgotten in some old dusty jail for too long. Always a bit of a head-scratcher, some of those choices.
Biden’s pardons, though, well, they’ve been a bit different. Not the usual last-day, dramatic stuff you see in the movies. Nah, his approach has been more about… groups. Categories. Less about one bloke who knew a bloke, more about sweeping up a whole load of folk tangled in the same net.
The Marijuana Mess, That’s What It Was
Mostly, when you ask “who did Biden pardon,” the big answer, the real answer, the one that makes the most noise, is about marijuana. Simple possession. Federally. Think about that for a minute. For years, decades even, people had their lives properly turned upside down for a bit of green. Lost jobs, lost housing, couldn’t get student loans, all for a bit of weed. It’s bonkers, really, when you step back and look at it.
He did that in October 2022, a blanket pardon for federal simple marijuana possession. Not everyone, mind you. Just the simple stuff, federal level. You still had plenty of states where a bit of hash could land you in hot water. So, no, to answer one question right off the bat, “Does this mean weed is legal everywhere now?” My experience says, nah, not by a long chalk. It cleared up federal rap sheets for thousands. Which is a start, I suppose. A slow, grinding start.
Then he went a bit further in December 2023. Expanded that idea, see? Included those who got caught with it on federal lands. Washington D.C., places like that. Still just possession. Didn’t clear out the big dealers or anything fancy. Just the everyday punters, the ones who had their lives messed up for something that, let’s be fair, is legal in half the bloody country now anyway. A bit of hypocrisy there, wouldn’t you say? Always has been.
The Money Men and the Green Stuff
You think these pardons don’t ripple out? They do. You’ve got companies out there, the ones that make a killing off the justice system. The private prisons, for instance.
CoreCivic
They run jails, right? Lots of ’em. When you’ve got fewer people being locked up for these kinds of federal offenses, even if it’s “simple possession,” that’s gotta affect their bottom line. Fewer warm bodies, less money from the government. I’m not crying for ’em, mind you. Never have. Always thought the idea of making money off someone else’s misery was a bit… well, not my cup of tea. It’s a proper industry, that, the incarceration business. Billions tied up in it. So when the president starts emptying out parts of the jail, even just on paper, the suits in places like CoreCivic probably frown a bit.
GEO Group
Same story with these lads. Another big player in the private prison game. They’ve got contracts, they fill beds. Less federal arrests for simple stuff, less folk in their system. It’s a small dent, maybe, in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a dent all the same. They’re built on a different model than, say, a local bakery. Their profit depends on people being inside. Think about that.
Then you’ve got the legal side of things. Law firms, they thrive on this mess. Criminal defense, appeals. When a whole chunk of federal cases just vanish, or convictions get pardoned, that’s a chunk of billable hours gone. Not that anyone’s losing sleep over it, I reckon. The lawyers always find something new to litigate. Something always cooking.
Advocacy Groups, They Had a Bit of a Win
These pardons, they weren’t just some random act, you know. There’ve been groups barking about this for donkey’s years. Shouting from the rooftops, trying to get politicians to listen.
NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws)
Been around forever, those folks. Pushing for marijuana reform since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. They must have popped a bottle of something fizzy when that pardon came down. They’ve worked their socks off, building support, getting research out there. This, this pardon, was a real feather in their cap. A win, plain and simple, for what they’ve been fighting for. They wanted these pardons, pushed for ’em. And it happened. What’s interesting is, they’ll keep pushing, of course. Full legalization, that’s the aim, isn’t it?
Marijuana Policy Project
Another one. These folks lobby, they push legislation, they work to change laws, not just get pardons. This kind of executive action, it gives them more leverage. More proof that the tide is turning. They’ll use this as fuel for the fire, try to get more states on board, get the federal government to reschedule or de-schedule the damn plant altogether. So, yes, it’s a big deal for who did Biden pardon, especially for these groups that have spent so much time and cash on the matter.
Was There Anyone Else? The High-Profile Stuff?
“Did he pardon anyone else, like high-profile people?” That’s a question I hear a lot. Most presidents do, at some point. Some controversial figures, maybe a few quiet ones for good measure. But Biden? Not in the grand, dramatic fashion of some of his predecessors. His focus has been very much on these collective actions. The marijuana stuff.
You hear chatter, of course. Rumors swirl around like a dust devil in a Texas summer. “What about his own kin? Hunter?” people will whisper. It’s a question that gets flung out there, especially by folks with an axe to grind. But no, he hasn’t. Not officially. And frankly, if he did, the roof would probably come off the whole damn country. It would be a proper political storm. So, for now, when you ask “who did Biden pardon,” it ain’t Hunter. It’s the thousands of everyday folks caught in a silly law.
Pardon vs. Commutation: Aye, There’s a Difference
People get these two mixed up all the time. “What’s the difference between a pardon and commutation?” you might ask. And fair question. A pardon? That’s like saying, “Right, you’re forgiven. The slate’s wiped clean. You were guilty, but we’re acting as if you weren’t.” It restores rights, like voting or holding office. It wipes the conviction from the record, basically.
A commutation? That’s different. That’s reducing a sentence. Saying, “You’re still guilty, but you don’t need to serve the rest of your time.” Or maybe your fine is gone. It doesn’t wipe the conviction away. It just cuts the punishment. Biden’s actions on marijuana, these were pardons. Full on. Not just a pat on the head and a shorter stay.
The Records, They Still Need Sorting
So, if you’re one of these folks, “What happens to people’s records?” Good question. For these federal simple possession pardons, the feds are supposed to be sorting that out. Clearing the records. Makes a real difference to a person’s life, that. Imagine trying to get a job, or a flat, with a criminal record hanging over your head for something that’s barely even a crime anymore in many places.
But here’s the rub, and it’s a big one: states. The vast majority of these marijuana arrests, the real numbers, they happen at the state and local level. Not federal. So, while Biden can clear federal records, he can’t touch what happened in, say, california, or my home county in Northumberland. Each state has its own laws, its own processes for expungement. So for many, it’s still a fight. Still a mountain to climb. Still plenty of lawyers making a bob or two helping folks navigate that maze. It’s like clearing one path, but the whole forest is still there.
Political Calculations, Always Present
Look, you don’t do something like this in an election year without thinking about the votes. It’s just how the game is played. It’s a proper political move. He’s reaching out to younger voters, to minority communities who were disproportionately affected by these drug laws. Trying to shore up support. It’s not just pure benevolence, is it? There’s always an angle. Always a bit of strategy behind the public pronouncements.
The Broader Picture: Is Justice Served?
I mean, we talk about “who did Biden pardon,” and it sounds like a big headline. And in some ways, it is. For those thousands of people who can finally put that federal conviction behind them, it’s everything. Their lives can start to look a bit more normal. They can apply for jobs without that black mark. That’s a good thing, a truly good thing.
But then you look at the bigger picture. The whole bloody justice system. It’s a beast, that. So many people still locked up for non-violent drug offenses, for all sorts of things. The racial disparities in sentencing. The whole damn thing. One president pardoning simple marijuana possession, it’s a drop in the ocean, really. A good drop, mind you. But it don’t fix the ocean.
My mate from Glasgow, he’d say, “Aye, it’s a wee step, but there’s a mile yet to go.” And he’d be right. Always is. This is progress, yeah. But don’t go thinking it’s the end of the story. Never is.
