President Joe Biden recently announced a presidential pardon for all prior federal offenses of simple possession of marijuana.

The White House said more than 6,500 Americans will benefit from Biden's marijuana pardon policy. Since the announcement, WCNC Charlotte's VERIFY team has gotten questions about presidential pardons and what makes it different than having charges expunged from someone's criminal record.

In this video, VERIFY reporter Meghan Bragg answers those questions and explains how presidential pardons work in the U.S. justice system. #VERIFY #WakeUpCLT

To get an understanding of how a pardon works, VERIFY checked with the U.S. Department of Justice. We also went to attorney Gary Mauney.

First, what is a presidential pardon? The Justice Department describes a pardon as when the president's forgiveness is granted in recognition of the applicant's acceptance of the crime. A pardon doesn't wipe away the criminal record, but it does restore rights that defendants lose when they're convicted of certain crimes, like a restriction on the right to vote, sit on a jury or hold elected office.

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