president obama Archives

President Obama Grants Clemency to 231 People, Largest in U.S. History

December 19, 2016

President Obama today granted clemency to 231 people; this is the largest single day act of clemency in U.S. history.

The large majority of those receiving clemency were charged with non-violent drug crimes. President Obama has now granted clemency to 1,324 people, including 395 serving life sentences; this is well more than the past 11 presidents combined.

“The 231 individuals granted clemency today have all demonstrated that they are ready to make use — or have already made use — of a second chance,” White House Counsel Neil Eggleston said in a statement. “While each clemency recipient’s story is unique, the common thread of rehabilitation underlies all of them”.

President Obama Says Cannabis Should be Legal and Regulated Like Cigarettes and Alcohol

November 29, 2016

For the first time since taking office President Obama has made it clear that he supports legalizing cannabis similar to how the law handles cigarettes and alcohol; allowed but regulated.

The comments came as part of an interview published today by the Rolling Stones. Although Obama states that he doesn’t believe legalizing cannabis will solve the country’s drug issues, he says it’s a much smarter approach than continuing to retain cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, which puts it alongside dangerous and fatal substances such as heroin.

President Obama Pardons 79 More Drug Offenders

November 23, 2016November 23, 2016

President Obama announced Tuesday that he is granting pardons to 79 more people serving federal prison sentences for nonviolent drug-related crimes.

President Obama has now pardoned 1,023 individuals (342 serving life sentences), more than the past 11 presidents combined.

“He is committed to using his clemency power in ways not seen from any other president in the modern era,” White House Counsel Neil Eggleston told the media. Eggleston says the commutations are an example of the United states being a “nation of second chances.”

President Obama Grants 102 More Pardons, Brings Total to 774, More than Last 11 Presidents Combined

October 11, 2016October 7, 2016

President Obama yesterday commuted the sentences of 102 more people, the “vast majority” of which have been in prison for nonviolent drug-related offenses. This brings the total number of pardons granted by Obama to 774, more than the number of commutations issued by the last 11 presidents combined.

“The vast majority of today’s grants were for individuals serving unduly harsh sentences for drug-related crimes under outdated sentencing laws,” said White House counsel Neil Eggleston in a press release. “With today’s grants, the President has commuted 774 sentences, more than the previous 11 presidents combined. With a total of 590 commutations this year, President Obama has now commuted the sentences of more individuals in one year than in any other single year in our nation’s history.”

Obama Pardons 111 More Drug Offenders, 35 Serving Life Sentences

August 30, 2016

President Obama has commuted the sentences of 111 people in federal prison over nonviolent drug crimes. 35 of these people were serving life sentences, meaning they would have died in prison if Obama didn’t grant them this pardon.

The 111 commutations brings Obama’s August total to 325, the most ever in a single month. On August 4th he commuted the sentences of 214 people, which was the largest single-day grant of commutations in United States history (67 of these commutations were life sentences). In total, Obama has commuted the sentences of 673 people, well more than the past nine presidents combined.

Obama Commutes 214 Drug Sentences, Most in Nation’s History

August 4, 2016

President Obama has commuted the sentences of 214 people serving federal prison sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, the largest single-day grant of commutations in American history. All 214 inmates – 67 of which were serving life sentences – will walk out of prison as free people on December 1st.

President Obama has now commuted the sentences of 562 people, which is more than the past nine presidents combined. Of the 562 people whose sentences were commuted, 197 were serving life in prison, meaning they would have died behind bars if not set free by the president.

Obama Pardons Dozens More Drug Offenders, Including 20 Serving Life Sentences

June 6, 2016

On Friday, President Obama announced 42 additional grants of clemency to men and women serving years in prison under outdated and unduly harsh drug sentencing laws. 20 of these individuals were set to spend the rest of their life in prison.

To date, the President has commuted the sentences of 348 individuals, 150 more than the previous seven Presidents combined. According to a White House blog post; “He remains committed to using his clemency power throughout the remainder of the Administration to give more deserving individuals that same second chance.”

Dozens More Federal Drug Offenders Granted Clemency by President Obama

May 7, 2016

Yesterday President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 58 people serving prison time for federal drug-related offenses. This follows the commutation of 61 individuals on March 30th of this year, and 162 individuals in 2015. Each of the individuals receiving a pardon were in prison for a nonviolent drug offense, many victims of the disparity between crack and powdered cocaine.

“The President is using his constitutional power, but he can only do so much,” says Michael Collins, deputy director at Drug Policy Alliance’s office of national affairs. “There is legislation in the Senate that would reduce mandatory minimums and have a greater impact on the prison population, and Leader McConnell needs to bring the bill up for a vote.”

President Obama to Meet with Group that Legalized Cannabis in D.C., Held Public Smoke-Out in Front of White House

April 21, 2016

In a surprise move,the White House has extended an invitation to meet with the leadership of the DC Cannabis Campaign (DCMJ), the organization that legalized cannabis in Washington D.C. in 2014 through a citizens initiative.

The meeting, set for Monday, April 25, comes in the wake of DCMJ’s peaceful Reschedule 420 demonstration and smoke-out in front of the White House that featured a 51-foot inflatable joint and drew thousands of activists and supporters calling on President Obama to remove cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, which puts it alongside drugs such as heroin.

Cannabis Protest and Smoke-Out Being Held Tomorrow in Front of White House

April 1, 2016

A massive cannabis protest and smoke-out will be taking place tomorrow, April 2, in front of the White House. The event is being ran by the D.C. Cannabis Campaign, the organization that successfully legalized cannabis in the district through a voter-approved initiative in 2014. The group is calling on President Obama to reschedule cannabis – which he has the legal authority to do – as well as pardon Americans currently in prison for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses.

“President Obama has the power to use his authority to reschedule cannabis”, the group said in their announcement of the event. “But recent reports have shown that he has no plans to change the status quo and, frankly, that is just pitiful.”