Skip to main content

Politicians make promises on their stump — we watch and hold them accountable.

Help keep the record honest →Create an account
PartialCivil Rights, Racial Justice & LGBTQ Issues

Biden will decriminalize the use of cannabis and automatically expunge all prior cannabis use convictions.

Sources (click to view full provenance)

Propose an edit to this promise's details

Suggest a sourced correction to the promise text, topic, scope, significance, or dates. Changing the promise text requires a source. Your suggestion is reviewed before it changes the record.

Sign in to suggest a correction

Free — it takes a minute. New here? Create an account and complete the Contributor Agreement once.

Assessments

evidence-backed verdicts

These are sourced verdicts from fact-checkers or community evidence reviews — not opinions.

PartialFact-checker reviewConfidence: 80%

Biden did not decriminalize cannabis, and no automatic expungement of prior convictions occurred. He instead issued categorical pardons on October 6, 2022 (expanded December 22, 2023) covering federal and D.C. simple marijuana possession offenses — relief that forgives the offense but does not expunge records — and his Justice Department formally proposed moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III on May 21, 2024. That rule was not finalized before his term ended January 20, 2025, and rescheduling would not itself have decriminalized use. Partial credit reflects delivered categorical relief for prior federal cannabis-use convictions without the promised decriminalization or expungement.

Your opinion on this assessment(clearly labeled opinion)

Sign in to vote.

Discussion

community opinions

Comments are user opinions — not verdicts. They do not affect the official assessment.

Sign in to join the discussion.

Propose a correction

community accountability

See an error in the promise text, status, significance, or missing source? Submit a sourced correction — a reviewer will evaluate and apply it if accurate. Your submission must cite evidence; unsourced changes are not accepted.

Sign in or create an account to propose a correction.

Debate

sourced community arguments

These are sourced community arguments — not StumpWatch assessments. Each cites a source and is community-contributed; it does not change the official status or rating above.

No arguments yet

Be the first to weigh in. Every argument cites a source and is reviewed before it publishes. Create an account to add one and help keep this promise honest.

Add a sourced argument

Cite a source for your point. Submissions are held for reviewer approval before they appear.

Sign in or create an account to add an argument.

StumpWatch is live, and the record is still growing. Many promises and positions aren’t tracked yet, and some features are still in beta. Add a sourced promise and help keep the record honest.

Help keep the record honest →