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Comment by jamesgreenleaf | Hacker News Reader

> ...a full, complete, and unconditional pardon... regardless of whether they have been charged with or prosecuted for this offense...

Millions of people can now truthfully say that they've been granted a presidential pardon.

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The number is in the 4 digit range, if I am not mistaken.

While the number of people who will be materially affected by this is in the four digits, this does technically apply to every one of the millions of people who have broken this federal law by possessing marijuana.

One need not have been charged to receive a pardon.

You do however need to formally accept the pardon and therein admit guilt.

https://courtmartiallaw.com/military-law/if-you-accept-a-par...

Yeah but you don’t need to do that if you haven’t been charged and probably won’t be charged at this point.

> When one accepts a presidential pardon, he or she is not admitting guilt or waiving habeas rights.

This seems to be saying the exact opposite.

> ... who committed the offense of simple possession of marijuana ... regardless of whether they have been charged with or prosecuted for this offense

You're missing the joke!

I suppose it's quite limited; in what situations would you be charged w/ simple possession federally? I'm assuming if you came through an airport with a butt or residue, and were particularly rude maybe.

I think the joke is that the pardon is "even if not charged" so if you ever had weed in your possession and could have been charged, you've now received a presidential pardon (even if the feds never even knew of you).

The can still charge you for it tomorrow.

Only if your offense occurs after the pardon.

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