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WASHINGTON - This Presidents Day, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), along with a coalition of business groups and criminal justice reform advocates, is calling upon President Joe Biden to follow through on his campaign commitment to expunge the criminal records of those with non-violent marijuana convictions.
"President Biden was crystal clear on the campaign trail that his administration would prioritize criminal justice reform, and he explicitly highlighted his desire to 'zero out' the records of those suffering from the stigma of a federal marijuana conviction," said NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri. "Following through on this campaign promise would be an important first step in remedying the past wrongs associated with nearly a century of marijuana prohibition and healing the wounds of the many Americans who have needlessly suffered under this failed public policy. In 2021, it is readily apparent that the criminalization of cannabis, and the lifelong lost opportunities that come with a criminal marijuana conviction, causes far greater harm than the responsible use of cannabis itself."
You can read the full letter here.
Excerpts from the letter:
President Biden, we urge you to clearly demonstrate your commitment to criminal justice reform by immediately issuing a general pardon to all former federal, non-violent cannabis offenders in the U.S. In addition, all those who are federally incarcerated on non-violent, cannabis-only offenses for activity now legal under state laws should be pardoned and their related sentences commuted.
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In November 2019, during a Democratic Primary Debate, you stated: "I think we should decriminalize marijuana, period. And I think everyone - anyone who has a record - should be let out of jail, their records expunged, be completely zeroed out." You now are in a position to do just that through a categorical pardon grant. Such grants are hardly unprecedented. Presidents from both political parties have taken such action when circumstances warranted it. In 1974, President Ford signed a proclamation granting conditional pardons to Selective Service Act violators who did not leave the United States. In 1977, President Carter issued categorical pardons to all Selective Service Act violators as a way to put the war and divisions it caused in the past.
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When a large majority of Americans no longer believe cannabis should be illegal, aggressive enforcement tactics quickly lose support. A general pardon of all former and current federal non-violent cannabis offenders would be the kind of grand, ambitious, and impactful action that would effectively signal to marginalized communities that their suffering is seen and that the government seeks to remedy their harms.
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U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Barbara Lee (CA-13), co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, also called on President Joe Biden to grant executive clemency to all non-violent federal cannabis offenders.
"Even before Congress sends President Biden a marijuana reform bill to sign, he has the unique ability to lead on criminal justice reform and provide immediate relief to thousands of Americans," said Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Barbara Lee (CA-13), Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chairs leading an effort on Capitol Hill to promote pardons to all non-violent federal cannabis offenders. "We urge President Biden to grant executive clemency for all non-violent cannabis offenders and look forward to working with him and the incoming Attorney General on quickly making this a reality."
Blumenauer and Lee - who are continuing to build support on Capitol Hill for clemency for non-violent federal cannabis offenders - plan to send a formal letter to the Biden administration in the coming days.
U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Barbara Lee (CA-13), co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, also called on President Joe Biden to grant executive clemency to all non-violent federal cannabis offenders.
"Even before Congress sends President Biden a marijuana reform bill to sign, he has the unique ability to lead on criminal justice reform and provide immediate relief to thousands of Americans," said Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Barbara Lee (CA-13), Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chairs leading an effort on Capitol Hill to promote pardons to all non-violent federal cannabis offenders. "We urge President Biden to grant executive clemency for all non-violent cannabis offenders and look forward to working with him and the incoming Attorney General on quickly making this a reality."
Blumenauer and Lee - who are continuing to build support on Capitol Hill for clemency for non-violent federal cannabis offenders - plan to send a formal letter to the Biden administration in the coming days.
Since its founding in 1970, NORML has provided a voice in the public policy debate for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition and favor an end to the practice of arresting marijuana consumers. A nonprofit public-interest advocacy group, NORML represents the interests of the tens of millions of Americans who use marijuana responsibly.
(202) 483-5500"I am ashamed as a human being," said the Swedish human rights and climate activist.
Activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday expressed her contempt for the international community for its continued inaction on ending the mass suffering being inflicted on Gaza by the Israeli government.
Thunberg, who is a passenger on the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to break through the Israeli blockade of Gaza, told Middle East Eye that her decision to join the voyage was "the bare minimum" she could do as Palestinians are facing mass starvation.
Thunberg then turned her ire to the rest of the world, which she accused of sitting on its hands while Gazans are suffering from a full-blown famine.
"I am absolutely disgusted by how there are so many people who are unable to say anything," she said. "Who are unable to do the very bare minimum to acknowledge the genocide, to even go to a demonstration, to even attend a protest when people are fighting for their lives to survive and to sustain their families."
The Swedish-born Thunberg went on to say that "I am ashamed as a human being, especially by my government, who are supposed to represent me," and she cited a recent quote from Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch, who said last month that Israel was doing the world a "favor" with its military operations in Gaza.
"Our complicity is worsening every day, as this genocide is escalating, that we aren't able to do more," Thunberg said. "That politicians aren't able to do the very bare minimum to uphold international law and prevent even the worst war crimes from happening. This is a textbook example of how our systems have failed."
In an exclusive interview with MEE from aboard one of the Global Sumud Flotilla boats destined for Gaza, vocal Palestine activist Greta Thunberg described the initiative as "inspired by the words of Palestinians." pic.twitter.com/a7CGGJlJiG
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) September 4, 2025
The flotilla, which departed from Spain earlier this week, aims to pass through an Israeli military blockade to deliver humanitarian aid to people in Gaza.
Thunberg was also a passenger on a previous flotilla mission that was intercepted by Israeli forces, who detained its passengers and then returned them to their home countries.
In addition to Thunberg, other prominent passengers on the current flotilla include American actress Susan Sarandon, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Portuguese politician Mariana Mortágua, former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, and Mandla Mandela, the grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela.
The Louisiana state prison has been known for brutal working conditions, solitary confinement, and violence.
As a court in Fort Myers, Florida prepared to hold the first hearing on the legal rights of immigrants detained at "Alligator Alcatraz," the Everglades detention facility that a federal judge ordered to be shut down last month, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday said the Trump administration has found a new prison to house arrested migrants, and boasted that detainees will likely get "a message" from the facility the government selected.
The administration has struck a "historic" deal with the Louisiana state government, said officials Wednesday, and will begin detaining hundreds of immigrants in a new facility at the notorious Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly called Angola and well known for its long history of violence and brutality against inmates as well as inhumane conditions.
Noem said in a press conference Wednesday that the prison, a former slave plantation, has "absolutely" been chosen due to its reputation for brutal working conditions—over which a group of inmates sued last year—use of solitary confinement, including for teenage prisoners; lack of access to clean water, sufficient food, and adequate hygiene; and violence.
"Absolutely, this is a facility that's notorious. It's a facility—Angola prison is legendary—but that's a message that these individuals that are going to be here, that are illegal criminals, need to understand," said Noem.
"Angola has a particularly dark history of abuse and repression that's almost singular in prison history in the United States."
An isolated section of the nation's largest maximum-security prison will house "the worst of the worst" criminal offenders who are immigrants, said Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, after whom the Angola facility has apparently been named. The area where up to 400 immigrants will be held is being called Camp 57, an homage to Landry, who is the state's 57th governor.
Landry issued an emergency declaration in July to expedite repairs in the facility, which hasn't held prisoners since 2018 due to security and safety risks stemming from its deteriorating condition.
"Angola has a particularly dark history of abuse and repression that's almost singular in prison history in the United States," Eunice Cho, senior counsel at the National Prison Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, told The New York Times.
As with Alligator Alcatraz, the administration has come up with a nickname for the detention and deportation center: "Louisiana Lockup."
Landry emphasized Wednesday that "the most violent offenders" will be held in the facility, and said that "if you don't think that they belong in somewhere like this, you've got a problem."
The center, which is being run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contractors, was already housing 51 detainees as of Wednesday and is expected to hold up to 200 by the end of September.
Noem named examples of people convicted of crimes including murder, sexual assault, battery, and possession of child sexual abuse imagery, who would be sent to the Angola facility.
The administration's comments echoed earlier statements about Alligator Alcatraz, where officials said "the worst of the worst" would be held while they awaited deportation.
The Miami Herald and The Tampa Bay Times reported in July that just a third of about 900 people held at the facility had been convicted of crimes, which ranged from serious offenses to traffic violations. More than 250 people had never been convicted or charged with any crime.
One analysis in June found that nearly two-thirds of migrants who had been rounded up by ICE in the first months of Trump's second term did not have criminal convictions.
"Instead of catching real criminals and terrorists, we are arresting pensioners and disabled people calling for the saving of children's lives," said one Metropolitan Police officer.
A pair of British police officers on Thursday expressed feelings of shame and guilt over having to arrest peaceful protesters—many of them elderly—for showing solidarity with Palestine Action as seven more of the anti-genocide group's supporters were charged with terrorism offenses.
"Instead of catching real criminals and terrorists, we are arresting pensioners and disabled people calling for the saving of children's lives," one Metropolitan Police member, identified as "Officer A," told Novara Media's Harriet Williamson under condition of anonymity. "It makes me question why I'm even in this career anymore."
While Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he is "proud" of how the department is handling the situation, Officer A said they felt "ashamed and sick" about having to arrest Palestine Action defenders—nearly half of whom are over age 60, with many older than 70 or even 80—under orders they did not believe in.
"I was told to help in the arrest of a disabled person for holding up the sign stating they opposed genocide and supported Palestine Action, which I did," they said. "I did it knowing it had nothing to do with upholding justice or our professional values, just to protect my job and livelihood."
"My father was an officer, and the reason I came into the police," Officer A continued. "I know he would be ashamed and turning in his grave if he saw what I did."
"I was at the protests and stood there with people shouting in my face calling me a pig and other names. I don't blame the public at all," Officer A confided. "In my silence, they didn't realize I agreed with everything they were saying but stating that openly would mean the end of my job."
The officer added that "my managers don't support what we have to do either, but they don't make the law and just have to follow what the ministers decide."
Another Met officer—identified as "Officer B"—told Williamson that "many officers are stuck between what everyone is witnessing in terms of genocide" and their orders to arrest supporters of Palestine Action.
"It causes a moral and ethical dilemma," said the officer, who is Muslim, as well as considerable "guilt for not being able to have a say on genocide."
More than 700 people have been arrested for showing support for Palestine Action ever since the group's recent ban under the Terrorism Act of 2000.
A spokesperson for the Police Federation of England and Wales told Novara Media that there aren't enough officers to police Palestine Action protests.
"Officers are emotionally and physically exhausted," the spokesperson said. "The demand is relentless. And it's not sustainable."
All told, at least 73 people have been charged with showing support for the banned group. They could face up to 14 years behind bars if fully convicted.
The Palestine Action ban resulted from Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's introduction of parliamentary legislation after members of the direct action group broke into a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire and sprayed two planes with red paint.
Defend Our Juries—an advocacy group that staunchly supports Palestine Action—said it is expecting more than 1,000 demonstrators to turn out for a Saturday rally near Parliament at which participants are set to hold signs reading, "I Oppose Genocide" and "I Support Palestine Action," an action that could result in a record number of arrests.
🚨 BREAKING: September 6th Action to go ahead as 1,000+ pledge to hold signs in defiance of Labour’s authoritarian banJoin the 1000+ by signing up at wedonotcomply.orgThis announcement comes after counter-terrorism police arrested five spokespeople in dawn raids today.
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— Defend Our Juries (@defendourjuries.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 5:55 AM
On Thursday, seven members of Defend Our Juries who were recently arrested and charged with terrorism offenses for encouraging support for Palestine Action pleaded not guilty in Westminster Magistrates' Court in London.
Former government attorney Timothy Crosland, 55; gardener Dawn Manners, 61; David Nixon, 39; student Patrick Friend, 26; Gwen Harrison, 48; and Melanie Griffith, 62 allegedly arranged public protests and managed a series of 13 recent Zoom meetings in support of Palestine Action. Anthony Harvey, a 59-year-old man from the Oban area of Scotland, was also charged under the anti-terrorism law and released on bail after appearing in a Scottish court.
The seven activists were set to hold a Tuesday press conference to promote Saturday's demonstration; however, they were preemptively arrested. Journalist and author George Monbiot, who was also set to speak at Tuesday's event, called the arrests "classic police state stuff."
"We all have a stake in this because we're seeing a slippage from a nominally broadly democratic nation into one with very strong, authoritarian characteristics, and this is something I feel we all have a duty to resist," Monbiot told Middle East Eye on Wednesday.
The Defend Our Juries spokesperson asserted Thursday that "the mass defiance of the ban cannot be stopped and is growing all the time."
"It will only stop when the UK government abandons this grossly unjust proscription and ends its complicity in Israel's horrific atrocities," they added.
This isn't the first time that Met Police have reportedly voiced frustration at having to persecute Palestine Action supporters. According to Williamson, climate writer Donnachadh McCarthy "described multiple interactions" with officers "who said they were unhappy with the Palestine Action ban."
"One officer told me, 'This is not the work I came into the police to be doing. I would far prefer to be doing my proper job catching real thieves,'" McCarthy recalled, adding that his arresting officer "paused as he was about to close the [cell] door on me and said, 'This is mad. I can understand them arresting Hamas members, but for people holding a placard, this doesn't make any sense to me.'"