President Joe Biden on Thursday called on the governors of all 50 states to pardon all prior state offenses for simple possession of marijuana, after issuing a blanket pardon for all prior federal offenses.
Missouri lawmakers and marijuana legalization advocates quickly pushed Republican Gov. Mike Parson to heed Biden’s request, which comes roughly a month before Missourians are set to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana.
Kelli Jones, Parson’s spokesperson, indicated that the Republican Missouri governor would not follow Biden’s request and would instead issue pardons on a case-by-case basis.
Biden’s push could put pressure on Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat whose state strictly prohibits marijuana use. Kansas Treasurer Lynn Rogers, who previously served as Kelly’s lieutenant governor, urged the governor to follow Biden’s advice.
Kansas pardon law, however, does not appear to allow for blanket pardons. Kelly’s office said she was focused on legalization of medical marij...
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