# Dank Brandon (President Biden) announces Federal pardon of Marijuana Possession and use charges - inmates, review of federal laws re: same **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 6, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840 "2022-10-06T19:20:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/61 "2022-10-08T19:08:06Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > It is conceivable that today’s newly pardoned felons could vote in the mid-terms if they don’t fiddlefart around with the paperwork. In Florida, I believe there’s a law that felons must pay outstanding fees before they can vote. I’m guessing that’s still in effect, unless I’m misremembering something. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/62 "2022-10-08T19:11:38Z")
Sounds like one of them pesky t’s that need to be dotted, but yes, I am sure that payment of all outstanding fees, fines and court ordered restitution is part of the process. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/63 "2022-10-08T19:30:47Z")
Okay, I’ll bite: I’ve never heard the term “dank” not used in the dictionary definition. What does it mean? PS: I’m pretty damn old, maybe it’s regional or something. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/64 "2022-10-08T19:31:44Z")
Dank is slang for particularly pungent weed. Used in a sentence: “That shit is _dank_, yo!” ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/65 "2022-10-08T20:09:43Z")
And for a subset of “humorous” jokes/memes floating around the internet, for which a large dose of “dank weed” would be required to render them anything close to funny. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/66 "2022-10-08T21:04:32Z")
Different states have different requirements. Florida is, to my knowledge, the only state that requires that. [In Texa](https://guides.sll.texas.gov/reentry-resources/voting)s, OTOH, their vote is automatically restored. Some states you don’t lose the right to vote at all. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/67 "2022-10-08T21:05:31Z")
You have to admit that this was at least a little funny. > **[r/trees - From The Late Show With Stephen Colbert: On October 6, 2022 Dark...](https://www.reddit.com/r/trees/comments/xxyl7h/from_the_late_show_with_stephen_colbert_on/)** > > 481 votes and 59 comments so far on Reddit ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2022, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/68 "2022-10-08T22:10:55Z")
Made me laugh when I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/69 "2022-10-09T01:59:40Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I have to imagine that there are extremely few federal prisoners doing time for simple possession, though. I’d say yes. In the federal system, there are few trials and lots of plea bargains. And all the plea bargains are to plead guilty to less charges – there is no bargaining over the sentence length. I do not think many of those pardoned were arrested for simple possession. If it had gone to trial, maybe they would have only been convicted of possession. Or maybe they would have been acquitted. Or maybe the prosecution would have won its case on all charges. However, I am still in favor of Biden’s action because, with few exceptions, I think that after you serve your time, your misdeed should no longer be held against you. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/70 "2022-10-09T02:26:44Z")
How is it legal to require any process to restore voting rights to pardoned individuals? If they’re pardoned, then they don’t get punished. That’s what pardoning means. And removal of voting rights is only allowed as a punishment for crime. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/71 "2022-10-09T03:19:03Z")
Psst…“poll tax”. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/72 "2022-10-09T05:19:32Z")
Cool, man 🚬 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/73 "2022-10-09T07:01:31Z")
The 24th Amendment was specifically written to prevent what Florida’s law does. But, eh, whatever, right? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/74 "2022-10-09T12:06:45Z")
The point of the Florida law is to remove Black people from the voting rolls. Florida already voted to restore the right to vote to feelings who have served their time, and the legislature avoided implementing it. (Or something like that.) ---
**Author:** ![mundylion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundylion/32/3604_2.png) [@mundylion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mundylion)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/75 "2022-10-09T18:15:38Z")
I agree with most dopers and no doubt a majority of the voters of the United States that people should not be jailed for marijuana possession. No argument. But no one has even commented on the fact that it is indeed a valid law of the country, passed in accordance with our constitution. So if we no longer want such a law, then our legislature should repeal or modify it. It is not up to the President to decide. But he does and everyone here cheers. Obama over and over again said that he did not have the authority to enact a Dreamer law, finally got tired of following the law so simply decided to write one himself and dared the country to sue him. They finally did and it has been a judicial issue ever since. Biden (and Pelosi and others) always said that the president did not have the power to forgive student loan debt. After months of thought (?) the president finally got tired of following the law so simply decided to write one himself and dared the country to sue him. And we are in that judicial mess right now. Presidential pardons are a different beast, of course, but we still have a congress, still a constitution, so one would hope that a sitting congress would take care of writing laws. That’s their job and they still get paid. Just because most agree with the aim of Biden’s pardon doesn’t make it right. Do we just want a dictatorship? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/76 "2022-10-09T18:27:01Z")
> [@mundylion](#): > > Do we just want a dictatorship? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Good one! That’s the funniest thing I’ve read all week. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/77 "2022-10-09T18:31:39Z")
> [@mundylion](#): > > Do we just want a dictatorship? I don’t think we have to worry about a Biden cult of personality anyway. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/78 "2022-10-09T18:50:53Z")
> [@mundylion](#): > > So if we no longer want such a law, then our legislature should repeal or modify it. It is not up to the President to decide. The U.S. constitution gives the president the unrestricted right to make federal pardons. If you don’t like it, then the solution is to either elect a different president, or change the constitution. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/79 "2022-10-09T18:56:00Z")
And he’s also said that he will ask Congress to change the law. Which is something he can do. Of course, any of us can ask Congress to do that, but they’re more likely to listen to Biden than us. If we agree that people shouldn’t be in jail for simple possession, then we should agree with a legitimate, legal, Constitutional action that someone takes to get people out of jail who are in for that. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840/80 "2022-10-09T19:08:26Z")
Yeah, the Florida thing was a case of the people vote to say “hey, restore the vote to felons who have completed their sentence and returned to society” but unknown to many of them, there was already a poison pill in the penal legislation – namely the imposition of costs, that was seldom or never enforced, thus making it so that every ex-con in Florida, on paper, _still had not settled EVERY last part of their “debt to society”_, and the Legislature grabbed on to that. > [@Chronos](#): > > he’s also said that he will ask Congress to change the law. Which is something he can do Exactly. The executive has quite a bit of discretion as to _how_ to enforce the laws, and _a whole damn lot_ of discretion on clemency. So this **is** a proper use of authority: seek a change in the law, and meanwhile apply clemency to the most unjustly condemned. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dank-brandon-president-biden-announces-federal-pardon-of-marijuana-possession-and-use-charges-inmates-review-of-federal-laws-re-same/972840.md?page=5)