Election 2020: Andrew Yang vows to ‘pardon everyone’ for nonviolent pot crimes
2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang gave a speech in Concord, New Hampshire, vowing to “pardon everyone who is in jail for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses.”
“I’m going to mass pardon everyone who is in jail for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses,” Yang said, adding later: “Americans now recognize just how broken our mass incarceration system is and how much progress we need to make.”
Andrew Yang photo/ donkeyhotey
In April, he stated at the National Action Network (NAN) conference that he plans to legalize marijuana, issue a pardon on April 20, 2021 to those in jail for nonviolent drug-based offenses (4/20 being a reference to weed culture), and give the newly freed individuals a “high-five … on the way out of jail.”
On Yang’s official website, he makes his policy ideas on the legalization of marijuana abundantly clear:
Marijuana is still considered a controlled substance by federal law. Thousands are in jail for marijuana-related offenses, particularly people of color. Yet marijuana is now legal for adult use in 11 states and the District of Columbia, and 33 states have legalized medical marijuana in some form.
We need to resolve the ambiguity and legalize marijuana at the federal level. This would improve safety, social equity, and generate tens of billions of dollars in new revenue based on legal cannabis businesses.
His website further states:
As president, I will … Support the full legalization of marijuana at the federal level and remove it from the controlled substances list … Expunge the federal convictions of all marijuana-related use or possession offenses … Identify non-violent drug offenders for probation and potential early release.
