Press Release
25 November 2024
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) released a proposed executive order that serves as a model for how the President can utilize executive and administrative authority to advance federal marijuana reform that prioritizes fairness and public health.
Key resources:
- Short summary of the executive order
- Full text of the proposal
- Answers to frequently asked questions
The proposed order outlines a comprehensive approach for embedding equity and public health principles into federal marijuana policies. It provides actionable steps that the President can take immediately, using the full extent of executive power to mitigate the profound harms of marijuana criminalization — harms that have disproportionately impacted Black, Latine and Indigenous communities.
“This proposal is not only a roadmap for President Biden to take action in the final days of his presidency but also a framework for future administrations to leverage executive authority to advance federal marijuana policies that are fair,” said Cat Packer, Director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation at DPA. “The opportunity to lead on marijuana reform is not bound by political cycles — it is a responsibility for every administration committed to liberty, justice and public health.”
The proposed executive order demonstrates how a President can leverage executive authority to direct impactful federal action by:
- Establishing a National Advisory Council to advance equity and public health in federal marijuana policy, providing strategies to acknowledge and repair the harms caused by marijuana criminalization.
- Assessing federal marijuana policies to identify barriers for underserved communities and developing solutions to address these barriers.
- Developing and implementing Equity Action Plans to ensure federal marijuana reform efforts prioritize communities disproportionately harmed by criminalization.
- Issuing specific agency directives to take immediate steps to reduce the harms of marijuana criminalization and advance public health and equity.
“This executive order is a model for how administrations can use their authority to transform federal marijuana policies to improve the lives of everyday people — rather than just improving profits for marijuana corporations,” said Packer.
“For far too long, our federal cannabis policies have been rooted in discrimination and have inflicted harm on communities of color. Today, the Biden administration has the unique ability to lead on criminal justice reform and provide immediate relief to thousands of people across our country,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA). “As Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, I believe that this executive order is a model on how to advance federal marijuana reform that prioritizes equity and public health.”
“As long as marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance, federal marijuana law will continue to have devastating consequences — particularly for communities most harmed by the War on Drugs,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA). “President Biden took the important step to reschedule marijuana, but that doesn’t have to be the end of the administration’s work to reform our system and right these wrongs.”
“For too long, marijuana criminalization has harmed our communities and limited economic opportunities.” Senator Ron Wyden (OR) said. “Ultimately, Congress needs to act to end marijuana criminalization and regulate it at the federal level. After moving to reschedule marijuana earlier this year, President Biden has a critical opportunity to take additional actions in the final stretch of his presidency that would mitigate the harms of the failed War on Drugs and set future administrations up for a productive approach to marijuana reform.”
Learn more about DPA’s proposed executive order on marijuana reform.
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About the Drug Policy Alliance
The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) addresses the harms of drug use and drug criminalization through policy solutions, organizing, and public education. We advocate for a holistic approach to drugs that prioritizes health, social supports, and community wellbeing. DPA opposes punitive approaches that destabilize people, block access to care, and drain communities of resources. We believe that the regulation of drugs should be grounded in evidence, health, equity, and human rights. In collaboration with other movements, we change laws, advance justice, and save lives.
