Joe Biden kinda, sorta, almost endorses legalizing marijuana

[W_HAMILTON]

4. This is an issue where people are picking and choosing what they want to hear.

No one can "legalize" marijuana on their first day in office -- to do so would require a bill to be passed through Congress and signed into law. Biden is open to legalization, but not without a comprehensive congressional study on its impacts being conducted first.

On the other hand, everyone can "decriminalize" marijuana on their first day in office through executive order basically telling federal officials to no longer pursue criminal punishment for marijuana-related offenses. Biden has already said he is in favor of this.

Legalization is not the same as decriminalization in this context, both in terms of what they mean in practice and what it would take for each to be implemented.