For the first time in history, the president of the United States spoke about cannabis reform during the State of the Union address. Unfortunately, the scene was marred when he took credit for something that never happened.
President Joe Biden highlighted the executive actions he’s taken since he’s been in office, including, “directing my cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana and expunging thousands of convictions for the mere possession, because no one should be jailed for simply using or having it on their record.”
The president was referring to his 2022 pardon of individuals who had been prosecuted federally for simple marijuana possession and last year’s expansion of the pardon.
But his claim that these records were expunged has been debunked by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the agency website FAQ about the pardon.
“A pardon is an expression of forgiveness to a person convicted of a crime. It does not signify innocence or expunge the conviction,” the FAQ explains.
In recent months, Biden has repeatedly falsely stated that he expunged cannabis records.
HHS Accused of Blocking Research
Two sponsors of the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act—which was signed into law by Biden in 2022—have sent a letter accusing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of failing to implement the law.
Last week, Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Andy Harris (R-MD) sent the letter to the HHS and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). They said the DEA’s licensing requirements for marijuana researchers haven’t been adequately updated and that more than 150 research applications are still pending decisions by the HHS’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The lawmakers also pointed out that Congress has not received a report—due last December— from the HHS on the therapeutic potential of weed and federal barriers to research.
“We are deeply troubled by recent reporting that [the research law] is not being implemented in line with congressional intent,” wrote the lawmakers. “It is unacceptable that researchers continue to face harmful barriers to cannabis research after Congress expressly removed obstacles to research into this substance.”
The letter asked a number of pointed questions, including how long researchers are waiting for responses to their applications, how many research licenses are pending and what caused the HHS to miss its report deadline.
Teen Use of Delta-8 Higher in Illegal States
A new study from the American Medical Association (AMA) found that Delta-8 THC teen usage rates are lower in states that have legalized marijuana.
The study found that seven percent of high-school seniors in states where cannabis is legal report having tried Delta-8 THC. In states where weed is still illegal, double that amount of seniors—14 percent—have tried the compound.
Many states have banned the sale of the unregulated cannabinoid. However, it’s still legal to purchase it in New Mexico.