U.S. Department of Justice Extends Pardon Certificate Comment Deadline to August 15

In March, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officially announced the opening of the Department of Justice. online portal To make it easier than ever for people with low-level cannabis convictions to apply for a pardon.Now Department of Justice Amnesty Attorney’s Office Notice issued on July 18 The deadline has been extended to August 15th.

The Amnesty Attorneys Office has announced that it has submitted a request to extend the amnesty application through 2026. ‘The Department of Justice is seeking a PRA’ [Paperwork Reduction Act] Permission to collect this information will be granted for three years.” “OMB [Office of Management and Budget] ICR authorization [Information Collection Request] It cannot survive more than 3 years without renewal. The Department of Justice notes that the information collection requirements submitted to OMB for his existing ICR will be extended month by month while the review takes place. ”

“The purpose of this collection is to enable the U.S. Department of Justice Pardons Attorneys Office to expedite enforcement of the provisions of Executive Order 10467, an edict granting amnesty to individuals charged or convicted of simple possession of marijuana.” written notice. “This collection will enable individuals to apply for pardon certificates and will restore their political, civil and other rights by implementing the process of providing pardon certificates set forth in the order.”

The Justice Department expects 20,000 people to apply for amnesty and fill out the required information. This includes personal information (name, address, email address, citizenship status) as well as the individual’s case file and case number, the code section of the charge, copies of all relevant documents (such as indictments, complaints and other conviction documents), and the date the judgment was handed down.

The amnesty order was enacted by President Joe Biden in October 2022. “Like I said before, no one should go to jail just for using or possessing marijuana,” Biden tweeted. “Today, I will take steps to end the failed approach.”

In March, the Justice Department explained the conditions for those eligible for amnesty. “Those pardoned on October 6, 2022 are eligible to receive pardon certificates,” the Justice Department said in a press release. “Pursuant to the declaration, in order to obtain a certificate, an applicant must have been indicted or convicted of simple possession of marijuana in a federal court or a Washington, D.C. Superior Court, and the applicant must have been legally present in the United States at the time of the offense.”

Following Biden’s pardon announcement, the U.S. Sentencing Commission said it would pardon more than 1,450 people charged with federal marijuana possession in Arizona. The only state with more pardons is California, with 1,550 eligible. However, the amnesty does not affect people convicted of illegal cannabis sales and other crimes.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are currently working on an eight-step federal cannabis schedule review to determine whether cannabis schedules need to be changed under the Controlled Substances Act. However, there is no clear deadline indicating when these agencies will complete their review. However, when it is finished, it will be sent to the DEA for a final decision.

Recently, officials from several states, including Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Utah, submitted data on their medical cannabis programs to the FDA for the purpose of contributing to its review.
The federal government’s rescheduling or postponement of cannabis could open up many opportunities for cannabis consumers and businesses. Just recently, cannabis businesses in Vermont were notified that when powerful storms flooded the state and damaged businesses and livelihoods, cannabis is a Schedule I substance and will not be eligible for federal emergency assistance.