Democrats Call On Trump To Commute People Incarcerated for Marijuana

Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to President Trump and his pardon czar, Alice Marie Johnson, seeking the commutation of the sentences of all serving in federal prisons for non-violent marijuana-related offenses.

The letter reads in part:

“We write to respectfully request that you use your pardon power to commute the sentences to all those in the federal prison system serving non-violent marijuana-related offenses.

“The inclusion of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act has resulted in tens of millions of people being sent to county, state, and federal prisons over the last several decades. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans believe that marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational purposes. You have recognized this disconnect between the science and policy with your executive order directing the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to complete the rescheduling to Schedule III, and your DOJ’s April 23, 2026 order to reschedule certain medical marijuana products to Schedule III. However, rescheduling marijuana does not provide relief for anyone currently in federal prison from a marijuana conviction. As president, you have a unique opportunity to use your constitutional authority and issue a categorical commutation to address this continuing injustice.”

“Those convicted of marijuana offenses face disproportionately long sentences. Based on data from the United States Sentencing Commission, it is estimated that approximately 3,000 people are still federally incarcerated for marijuana trafficking offenses, with hundreds, perhaps thousands serving harsh mandatory minimum sentences of 5 years or longer. Additionally, the arrest rate for African Americans for marijuana possession is 3.6-fold higher than for white people, despite similar usage rates. Too many people are serving way too long for marijuana-associated offenses. This means precious time away from loved ones and families separated for years, and in some cases even decades, due to our country’s antiquated laws around marijuana. However, thousands of people continue to be federally incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses, an activity that most states, in some form, have legalized.”

“The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is plagued by capacity issues, both overcrowded and understaffed. While it won’t solve the structural issues that have led us here, we believe that commuting the sentences of people with marijuana offenses would both address the overly harsh sentences while simultaneously allowing BOP to focus resources where they are needed most.”

“Lastly, those serving unjust marijuana sentences should be provided with support services to ensure they have a successful reentry after years of incarceration. Unfortunately, often those with life sentences cannot access reentry services. In order to prevent recidivism, we also urge you to order BOP to provide such services to people serving marijuana sentences.”

“Thank you for your consideration of our request.”

In April, the federal government moved to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule III under federal law: “State-Licensed Medical Marijuana Is Being Rescheduled”