Biden Delivers Lackluster Response to Sha’Carri Suspension

Sha’Carri Richardson’s disqualification from the Tokyo Olympics has been all over the news. If you want to find out more details about her incident, see here. Sha’Carri, who won the 100 meter dash with an astonishing time of 10.86 seconds, is in the center of Olympic news because of her 30 day ban after testing positive for a chemical found in marijuana. The Summer Tokyo Olympics seem to already be disappointing many, because fans won’t even be allowed at the events. So what does President Biden think about the Sha’Carri situation?

Biden’s exact words are “The rules are the rules, and everybody knows what the rules were going in. Whether they should remain the rules is a different issue, but the rules are the rules,” and that he was “really proud of the way she responded.” Unfortunately, that was not the response most of us hoped for. Many marijuana advocacy groups are frustrated with Biden’s lackluster response.

This brings to attention The White House’s official stance on marijuana. Advocacy groups have been met with little success in 2021, because April was the last time it was really being mentioned in length. Biden made no promises to legalize marijuana, but according to a representative, he is looking to decriminalize it. Fox news had the following to say: “It would have been a strong symbolic move for the administration to fully stand behind Richardson and call for change. But the response was fairly lackluster, especially when combined with the President’s tepid position and lack of action on broader cannabis issues that affect our entire nation.” Americans seem to be more optimistic toward the idea of marijuana legalization. In fact, according to a poll by Pew Research Center, over ⅔ of Americans believe it should be legalized.

Sha’Carri’s disqualification is tragic, but only further acts as an example of how marijuana use is overly punished. There are people, especially young people, serving jail and prison time for minor marijuana offenses. These convictions leave a nasty stain on people’s records that haunt them for the rest of their lives and prevent job opportunities and financial wellbeing. It’s time for a change.