President Joe Biden is expected to speak about reform to marijuana policy in his first time ever mentioning the issue in a State of the Union Address.
According to NBC News' Julie Tsirkin, the president will say in his speech that no one should go to jail for cannabis-related offenses — and he will also speak about his push for the cabinet to reschedule the drug so that it is no longer treated as a top-level illegal substance.
This comes after the Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed earlier this year that they are reviewing a rescheduling recommendation, amid pressure from Democratic lawmakers.
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Cannabis is currently a Schedule I drug, a designation intended for the most dangerous and addictive substances for which there is no legitimate medical purpose — despite the fact that most states now allow it to be used for some recognized medical purposes, and many have legalized it recreationally.
For years, the federal government has been in an awkward situation of not enforcing drug policy against low-level users in these states, as well as dispensaries that act legally within state law.
Biden has often expressed discomfort with recreational drug use, but has gradually been moving in the direction of reform along with the rest of the Democratic Party. In 2022, he issued a wide-ranging pardon for federal and D.C. offenders who had been convicted of simple marijuana offenses.
