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Transcript/ScriptWashington Week Ahead (TV)
HEADLINE: U.S. President Pardons Pot Possessors
TEASER: Biden’s plan addresses charging practices that disproportionately affect minorities
PUBLISHED:10/9/2022 at: 2:45p
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: AP/ REUTERS/ INSTAGRAM/WHITE HOUSE/ SENTOMCOTTON/TWITTER
SCRIPT EDITORS: sv, MPage
VIDEO SOURCE (S): AP/ REUTERS/ INSTAGRAM/WHITE HOUSE/ SENTOMCOTTON/TWITTER
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:09
NOTE:
VID APPROVED BY: MP
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO)):
[[U.S. President Joe Biden announced last week a pardon for thousands of Americans convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana. The White House says Biden’s plan addresses charging practices that have for years unfairly targeted minorities. Some Republicans have already begun criticizing the move ahead of the November midterm elections. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.]]
((NARRATOR))
U.S. President Joe Biden announced pardons for thousands of Americans charged with “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law. His comments came ready-made for social media.
[RADIO TRACK: Here’s President Biden speaking on the White House Instagram feed.]
((mandatory cg WHITE HOUSE/ INSTAGRAM))
“As I said when I ran for president, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. It’s already legal in many states, and criminal records for marijuana possession have led to needless barriers to employment, to housing, and educational opportunities. And that’s before you address the racial disparities around who suffers the consequences.”
((NARRATOR))
Dozens of states, several U.S. territories and Washington D.C. already have some form of marijuana legalization. Biden’s plan only affects those who possessed small
amounts – not those who manufactured or distributed – and their arrests cannot have involved another crime like robbery or assault.
((mandatory cg SenTomCotton / Twitter))
((NARRATOR))
But some of the president’s usual critics like Republican Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton took to Twitter calling this a “desperate attempt to distract from failed leadership.”
((NARRATOR))
The White House says the pardons give a second chance to people with criminal records for pot ((marijuana)) possession that hurt their chances at employment or housing. It’s part of a bigger push from Biden to change how marijuana is classified in the U.S.
[RADIO TRACK: Assistant White House Press Secretary Kevin Munoz recently spoke with VOA.]
((Kevin Munoz, Assistant White House Press Secretary))
“At the moment, marijuana is classified at the same level as drugs like heroin. That doesn’t make sense, as the president said. So he’s working to reschedule marijuana. He also knows that too many people – especially in the Hispanic and Black community – have been impacted by federal marijuana laws for just possessing marijuana.”
((NARRATOR))
There are currently zero federal prisoners held for simple possession. But since most marijuana-related convictions happen on the state level, Biden has begun urging both Democratic and Republican governors again to issue pardons in their states. And while a pardon would not expunge a person’s criminal record, it would remove obstacles like those to the right to vote or sit on a jury. Despite asking federal agencies to review marijuana’s classification, which currently ranks it as more dangerous than fentanyl, Biden has so far stopped short of calling for national decriminalization of the plant.
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D.C.
Embargo DateOctober 9, 2022 14:20 EDT
BylineArash Arabasadi, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
