Amid deepening tensions in the Middle East, Bahraini activists said that the mass pardon, while welcome, was incomplete, and called for the release of several jailed opposition leaders.
The bill, which reflects growing support for legalization, would end the federal prohibition on cannabis. But it is unlikely to pass in an election year and a divided government.
The former president has put forth a law-and-order candidacy while also criticizing the legal system when it comes to himself and making exceptions for his supporters.