WASHINGTON — Though an October announcement from President Joe Biden promised pardons to individuals federally convicted of simple possession of marijuana, a review of federal court data indicates that only three Minnesotans could be receiving clemency.
Making note that marijuana convictions have “upended” too many lives, Biden took to the media Oct. 6 to announce an overhaul of how the federal government and federal law enforcement agencies handle the drug, which currently is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, alongside drugs such as ecstasy, heroin and LSD.
In addition to calling on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Health and Human Services to “expeditiously” review the process of rescheduling marijuana, Biden announced a proclamation to pardon all prior federal offenses for simple marijuana possession, a move expected to restore certain rights to as many as 6,577 American citizens and legal aliens convicted over the past two decades.
According to data from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), only three such convictions have been seen in the District of Minnesota between 1992 and 2021 — the oldest data compiled in the commission’s report.
Of the 94 judicial districts in the United States, 68 districts — including Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota — saw fewer than 50 convictions during the same time period. The Districts of Arizona, Western Texas and Southern California account for over 40% of all simple marijuana possession convictions.
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Of all 7,699 convictions, 85% of defendants were American citizens and more than 78% were male. More than 41% of offenders were white, nearly 32% were Hispanic and more than 23% were Black.
The USSC did not include nonresident aliens or those living in the country illegally.
According to the USSC’s Interactive Data Analyzer, which compiles statistics on all federal convictions only from October 2014 to September 2021, judicial districts adjacent to the United States’ southern border make up more than 28% of all federal convictions for possession or trafficking of all types of controlled substances.
Though the USSC acknowledged that no American citizens are currently in federal prison solely for possessing marijuana, it could break down some barriers preventing those from seeking employment, housing or educational opportunities.
At the conclusion of his Oct. 6 announcement, Biden encouraged all governors to grant clemency for state-level offenses involving marijuana possession. Unlike in most states, Gov. Tim Walz does not hold the sole authority to grant clemency, as the state constitution grants that power to a board composed of the governor, attorney general and chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court.
The Trust Project
