Erique L1 Latoison, a criminal defense attorney and legal analyst for NBC 10 News in Pennsylvania, discusses the potential implications of President Biden’s move toward decriminalizing marijuana.

Video Transcript

20 minutes of nonstop news continues right now with a new era when we’re talking about marijuana.

Yes. President Biden announced that he will pardon people with federal possession charges. He also wants to change the way the drug is viewed. NBC 10 is now looking at how the shift could impact people in our area. NBC 10 Lauren Mayk joins us now, and she talks talk to someone trying to get a pardon right now, right, Lauren?

Yeah, that’s right, guys. He is 31 years old, he is a dad. And he told me about the challenges that he runs into getting a job, especially in security, where he would love to work.

That announcement from the President, though, made him hopeful.

I wanted the Harlem Shake. I wanted to dance. I want to do one of them TikTok dances. I was happy about it.

That’s what Basil Lester says his reaction was when he heard President Joe Biden’s announcement about pardons for marijuana possession and an effort to change how the drug is viewed in the legal system.

I was like, Yo, this is the first step to giving people they life back.

Lester says his charge has impacted his ability to get jobs.

Sometimes they don’t seem fair because the job, they technically don’t even know what the charge is. And it’s just saying, like, oh, you got a felony. But I was hanging out with some friends. We were all chilling, throwing young people stuff, and they left some marijuana in my car, which I dropped gave back to them. The cop said, oh, because you had $200 in your pocket, you’re a drug dealer.

Lester’s charge was state, not federal, and he’s in the process of applying for his own pardon in Pennsylvania with the help of Andrea Lindsay with Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity.

Why is this something that you guys focus on? What do you think the broader impact is?

We have long held that criminal records are directly tied to the health of our communities. It allows people to have new opportunities for education, for jobs. When they have that record cleared.

No one should be in jail.

The President’s announcement on marijuana immediately affects just people with federal charges of possession.

Will anyone get out of prison because of this?

And that’s the thing, Lauren. No one is in prison over this.

Attorney Enrique Latoison says the bigger impact is symbolic.

It sends a signal to say, hey, anybody that’s still charging people with civil possession of marijuana, we need to stop this, because even the federal government is not in support of this anymore.

The President also started the process of changing how marijuana is handled under the law by changing the schedule. It also lessens the penalty.

It lessens things. It changes things.

It downgrades the seriousness of marijuana even for people that are charged with trafficking.

For now, this step by the President won’t immediately impact Basil Lester’s case, but he’s encouraged by what it could mean, in the long run, just knowing.

That people get a fair shot at life and getting a clean sleep, that’s what sucks. They make you want to dance.

Judy now there are processes you can go through to apply for a pardon for marijuana cases. The representative I spoke with, with the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, tells me what they would like to see is an automatic pardon from the state where people eligible would be automatically pardoned without having to find and go through that process. I’m Lauren Mayk, NBC 10 news.

20 minutes of nonstop news continues right now with a new era when we’re talking about marijuana.

Yes. President Biden announced that he will pardon people with federal possession charges. He also wants to change the way the drug is viewed. NBC Ten is now looking at how the shift could impact people in our area. NBC Ten is Lauren Mayk joins us now, and she talked to someone trying to get a pardon right now. Right, Lauren?

Yeah, that’s right, guys. He is 31 years old, he is a dad, and he told me about the challenges that he runs into getting a job, especially in security where he would love to work.

That announcement from the President, though, made him hopeful.

I wanted the Harlem shake, I wanted to dance. I want to do on them TikTok dancers. I was happy about it.

That’s what pacel Lester says his reaction was when he heard President Joe Biden’s announcement about pardons for marijuana possession in an effort to change how the drug is viewed in the legal system.

I was like, Yo, this is the first step to giving people their life begs.

Lester says his charge has impacted his ability to get jobs.

Sometimes it won’t seem fair because the job, they technically don’t even know what the charge is. And it’s just saying, like, oh, you got a felony. But I was hanging out with some friends. We was all chilling, throwing young people stuff, and they left some marijuana in my car, which I dropped gave back to them. And the cops said, oh, because you had $200 in your pocket, you’re a drug dealer.

Lester’s charge was state, not federal. And he’s in the process of applying for his own pardon in Pennsylvania with the help of Andrea Lindsay with Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity.

Why is this something that you guys focus on? What do you think the broader impact is?

We have long held that criminal records are directly tied to the health of our communities. It allows people to have new opportunities for education, for jobs. When they have that record cleared, no.

One should be in jail.

Judge the President’s announcement on marijuana immediately affects jumps people with federal charges of possession.

Will anyone get out of prison because of this?

And that’s the thing, Lauren. No one is in prison over this.

Attorney Enrique Latoyne says the bigger impact is symbolic.

It sends a signal to say, hey, anybody that’s still charging people with simple possession of marijuana, we need to stop this, because even the federal government is not in support of this anymore.

The President also starting the process of changing how marijuana is handled under the.

Law by changing the schedule. It also lessens the penalty.

It lessens things, it changes things.

It downgrades the seriousness of marijuana even for people that are charged with trafficking.

For now, this step by the President won’t immediately impact Basil Lester’s case, but he’s encouraged by what it could mean in the long run.

Just knowing that people will get a fair shot at life and get a clean sleep, that’s what’s what’s up. It makes you want to dance.

Now there are processes you can go through to apply for a pardon for marijuana cases. The representative I spoke with, with the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, tells me what they would like to see is an automatic pardon from the state, where people eligible would be automatically pardoned without having to find and go through that process. I’m Lauren Mayk, NBC ten news.

Transferring ownership of your property? Stop by one of our offices today where we can help you get started on your deed!