Regional NORML Coordinator Chris Goldstein, along with two other Presidential marijuana pardon recipients, participated in a round table conversation on Friday at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss ongoing efforts by the Biden Administration to reform federal cannabis policies.
In her introductory remarks, Vice President Harris emphasized that “nobody should have to go to jail” for marijuana use, and lamented that “far too many Americans” have faced serious legal consequences for minor marijuana offenses. She also called the Schedule I classification of cannabis under federal law “absurd and patently unfair.” The audio of Vice President’s remarks is available online.
Goldstein, who has a history of cannabis activism in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, received a Presidential pardon certificate earlier this year. He was federally convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2014 for smoking cannabis during a protest in an outdoor area of Independence Hall National Historic Park in Philadelphia.
“These Presidential pardons are a powerful and meaningful action,” Goldstein said. “They carry a tremendous power of goodwill — not just to those of us who received them, but for the entire country. These pardons are seen by people everywhere as tangible signs of the White House taking action on marijuana policy.”
President Joe Biden issued a pardon proclamation in October 2022 for several thousand Americans with federal convictions for marijuana possession offenses. At that time, he said, “No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana.” He recently repeated those sentiments in his State of the Union address.
In December, the President issued another, more expansive pardon proclamation. An online portal for those who wish to apply to receive written pardon certificates is available on the Justice Department website.
Also at Friday’s meeting were two additional pardon recipients, hip hop artist Fat Joe, and Kentucky Gov. Andrew Beshear, who in 2022 issued an executive order pardoning patients who obtained medical cannabis products from out-of-state. (The state has since legalized medical marijuana.)
Goldstein utilized his time with the Vice President to bring further awareness to the Presidential pardon process and emphasized the need for further federal reform, such as descheduling cannabis. (In 2022, the Administration initiated an administrative review of marijuana’s Schedule I status. As part of that review, the Department of Health and Human Services has recommended cannabis be moved to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.)
“The three of us discussed the real-world impact of our federal marijuana convictions and the relief provided by these Presidential pardons,” he said. “Thousands of people are still eligible, and this event should help raise awareness for more people to apply.”
He added, “We represent the tens of millions of Americans who have been arrested for marijuana in nearly a century of prohibition.”
Ahead of the White House meeting, Goldstein and NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox attended meetings with several members of Congress. Goldstein, along with other members of NORML’s staff, participated in a Live with NORML broadcast following Friday’s discussion.