Almost five months ago, President Biden promised pardons for federal convictions for marijuana possession. Remember that?
Well, on March 3rd, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney FINALLY announced the publication of an application form for those who are applying for a federal weed pardon.
Do you think you might be eligible? Let’s dig into this one.
You Must Have a Federal Conviction
It’s right there in the term “federal weed pardon.” So if you’re facing a conviction from a state court, you’re out of luck. (Especially in the tiny smattering of states who still insist it should be illegal.) Biden has no power to grant you a pardon. You have to look to your state governor or legislature.
You’ll want to take advantage of this federal pardon though, if you can. Once you’re cleared, your right to vote, hold office, or sit on a jury will be upheld once again. (The jury duty may not be all that exciting – depending on your viewpoint.) Proof of the pardon will also help those seeking to obtain licenses, employment, or bonding.
Be Prepared to Be One of the Very Many
The Justice Department estimates that there may be 20,000 people who are eligible for this pardon. So despite that fact they promise the application for the pardon will be simple and not take long to complete, you have to remember they’re speaking in “governmentese.” They have a warped sense of time.
You can bet that it in most cases it won’t be a simple one-sheet document that you can slap out in a few minutes. You may have to make phone calls, do research, and have conversations (which can take you down a unique set of rabbit holes) to access the information you need.
So yeah. Run, don’t walk. Apply as soon as possible. Because everything will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
What to Expect When Applying for a Federal Weed Pardon
The intake form asks for the usual info such as name, address, phone, and birthday. You may want to bring your driver’s license, state ID, birth certificate, social security card, or whatever else can support that you are who you say are.
You’ll need to know which U.S. District Court heard your case, the statute of your charge/conviction, and your case docket number. You should have your charging document, as well as the judgment of sentencing or conviction. You’ll have to take pics of these documents and save them as PDFs so you can upload them to the application form.
And that’s it. As cannabis business owners, we wish you the best of luck!
Keep Up with the Latest
Now you know the nitty gritty of applying for a federal weed pardon. If you’re ready to get started, you can do so via the online portal here.
And if you’re interested in reading more riveting and mind-blowing stories about cannabis (or at least informative ones) keep checking back with our blog.