Charles Loeffler

University of Pennsylvania Website

Charles Loeffler is Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Harvard University.

Voting History

Marijuana reform

Pardoning federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana will have meaningful social benefits that exceed any social costs.

Vote Confidence
Agree 8
Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree 8
Comments

The primary effect of this policy will be limited to assisting in the restoration of civic rights to individuals previously federally convicted of simple marijuana possession. This policy change is unlikely to lead to substantial changes in time served in prison or on community supervision among those formerly convicted of this federal offense.

Pardoning state convictions for simple possession of marijuana will have meaningful social benefits that exceed any social costs.

Vote Confidence
Agree 8
Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree 8
Comments

Pardons of past convictions for simple possession of marijuana will have a first order effect on voting/jury service. Only when paired with expungement or other criminal record clearance policies is it likely to have a larger social impact. That behind said, the costs of pardoning are primarily administrative.

Moving marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a less-restrictive schedule or legalizing it at the federal level would have meaningful social benefits that exceed any social costs.

Vote Confidence
Neutral/No Opinion 8
Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree 8
Comments

It is difficult to forecast the full knock-on effects of rescheduling or descheduling. Utilization will almost certainly increase with secondary impacts on everything from impaired driving to workplace accidents. At the same time, the costs of enforcement will decline somewhat as resources are reallocated to enforcement of other criminal statutes.