Biden's pot pardons could boost states' legalization drives

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — There are few surprises expected on Election Day in solidly Republican Arkansas, where Donald Trump's former press secretary is heavily favored in the race for governor and other GOP candidates are considered locks.

But one big exception is the campaign to make Arkansas the first state in the South to legalize recreational marijuana. A proposal to change the state's constitution is drawing millions of dollars from opponents and supporters of legalization, with ads crowding the airwaves.

President Joe Biden's recent announcement that he will pardon thousands of people for simple marijuana possession has shined a new spotlight on the legalization efforts in Arkansas and four other states. Voters in Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota are also taking up measures on recreational marijuana.

Biden's step toward decriminalizing the drug could provide a boost for legalization in some of the most conservative parts of the country, experts say.

“The most powerful elected leader in the world has publicly declared it was a mistake to criminalize people for using cannabis and I think that will go a long way with voters who may be on the fence," said Mason Tvert, partner at VS Strategies, a cannabis policy and public affairs firm.

Biden's announcement only covers people convicted under the federal law. But he has called on governors to issue similar pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of marijuana possession cases. The president also directed his health secretary and attorney general to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

The moves come as opposition to legalization has softened around the country, with recreational marijuana legal in 19 states, despite resistance at the federal level. Advocates say it...