Governor Abbott Won’t Order Pardons for Weed Use
(TargetLiberty.org) – In his latest display of being soft on crime, President Joe Biden has decided to pardon all low-level marijuana offenses. Now, he wants state governors to do the same. Texas, however, doesn’t want to go down that road.
Despite the president urging governors to pardon state possession charges, Gov. Greg Abbott made it clear that such pardons will not be happening in Texas.https://t.co/GGuFxylDV1
— Ariana Garcia 🇵🇷 (@Ariana_noGrande) October 7, 2022
On October 6, Biden announced he’s pardoning anyone convicted on federal charges of simple possession of marijuana. For now, he hasn’t decriminalized the drug — he’s just decided not to enforce the law. He’s called on states to follow his example — but a spokeswoman for Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) came back with a blistering reply.
In a statement released the same day, Renae Eze said Texas “is not in the habit of taking criminal justice advice from the leader of the defund police party,” then went on to slam Biden for cashless bail policies and the release of violent criminals.
Eze also pointed out under Texas law, Abbott couldn’t grant a blanket pardon like even if he wanted. She noted that Texas governors can only pardon people if the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has recommended it. Abbott himself doesn’t believe low-grade possession of marijuana justifies a prison sentence, and he’s open to reducing penalties — but it doesn’t look like he wants to simply ignore the law.
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