Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) has joined eleven other members of Congress urging President Joe Biden to reduce the harms caused by federal marijuana policies. Congressional Democrats have been pushing Biden to take decisive action before the end of his administration. 

The letter, addressed to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, was spearheaded by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) and joined by a coalition of bicameral lawmakers, was recently released.

“Rescheduling marijuana and the prior round of pardons must not be the end of this Administration’s historic work to use its executive authority to undo the damage of federal marijuana policy,” Lawmakers wrote. “The Biden administration has the opportunity to further reduce the harms of marijuana’s criminalization before the end of this administration by issuing another round of clemency and an updated memorandum on prosecutorial discretion for marijuana offenses.”

The Biden administration has issued pardons in the past for individuals convicted of marijuana possession. In addition, the outgoing administration announced plans to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I (which encompasses highly addictive drugs like heroin and LSD) to a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substance Act. Hickenlooper and other lawmakers urged the administration to complete the process of rescheduling as soon as possible. The letter went on to push for another round of pardons or commutations for people convicted of low-level, non-violent convictions related to cannabis. 

The letter also requested that the administration work with governors and local governments on expanding marijuana clemency and decriminalization under state law. Lawmakers also encouraged the Department of Justice to deprioritize the prosecution of marijuana offenses that have been subject to federal pardons or comply with either state or Tribal law.

“Federal sentences for marijuana possession are rare, with only 13 individuals sentenced for simple marijuana possession in 2023, compared to over 2,000 in 2015. Still, the threat of a federal conviction persists,” the letter reads. “Of the almost 700,000 drug possession arrests each year, one-third are for marijuana possession, and Black Americans are almost four times more likely than white Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession.”

Hickenlooper was among the lawmakers who pushed for the DEA to completely deschedule marijuana.