President Joe Biden's mass pardons for thousands of people who have federal offenses for simple marijuana possession, which initiates a change in how the drug is classified, creates a bad message about crime, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on Newsmax Friday.
"It sends the wrong signal 30 days before the election to say we're going to be issuing mass pardons without individually considering those pardon applications," the Republican governor said on Newsmax's "American Agenda." "I've given hundreds of pardons for prior drug offenses, so I do believe that there is room for compassion here, but the president's blanket pardon is not the right signal for America."
Biden's announcement, which fulfills one of his campaign promises, is likely seen as a move to please members of his base just before the November election when Democrats are defending their majorities in the House and Senate.
Hutchinson, though, said the pardons will affect only a few people.
"I checked in our state prison, and we have 16,000 prisoners, in round numbers, and only two are there for possession," he said. "Of course, those are for large quantities, and when you look at the federal system you don't go to federal prison for simple possession."
It also "sends the wrong signal" when Biden talks about changing the classification for marijuana.
"Schedule One is for those chemicals or drugs that do not have a recognized medical use, and that is what the challenge is for removing marijuana from Schedule One. It hasn't had the approval of the FDA," said Hutchinson.
"The Obama administration did not make that change and the Trump administration did not make that change because the science does not support it, so be honest with the voters and don't be political 30 days before the election when it comes to the issue of public safety."
Hutchinson on Friday also discussed inflation and how it tops his constituents' list of concerns heading into the midterm elections.
"We returned $400 million of state money to the taxpayers this year in a tax cut to provide them relief and to put more money in their pocket, but the thing that troubles me the most is simply the energy policy under this administration because that's the root cause of inflation," he said. "It disrupts the supply chain and impacts costs all across the board, not just in fuel costs."
And when the Biden administration says it's going to try to get Venezuela to increase production in exchange for lifting sanctions, that's "not a pretty sight," said Hutchinson.
"We could be energy independent, and that's what you would do the most to reduce inflation," the governor said.
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