Melinda Romero: PR gov’t should follow Biden, pardon marijuana users
By The Star Staff
Melinda Romero Donnelly, a shadow congressional delegate, applauded President Joe Biden’s decision to grant pardons to people convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law.
“I concur with the President that at this point no one should be in jail for just consuming or possessing marijuana,” Romero Donnelly said Sunday. “The same must be done in Puerto Rico to grant pardons. You have to evaluate all the cases well to emulate the President in this decision so that no one is in jail for cases of simple possession.”
The former lawmaker said that as with the federal determination to allow marriage between same-sex couples, “the same thing will happen here.”
“After much struggle there is now a broad view on marriage between same-sex couples, and so it will be with marijuana,” she said.
Romero Donnelly said more must be done to educate people on the subject and accept that the personal use of cannabis “tomorrow or the day after tomorrow will be academic.”
In that sense, Romero Donnelly saw validity in the request of several representatives who are asking that the island government emulate Biden on the issue.