On December 21, 2006, President Bush pardoned these drug offenders:
• Marie Georgette Ginette Briere — possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
• George Thomas Harley — aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine.
• Patricia Ann Hultman — conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and other controlled substances.
• Eric William Olson —possession with intent to distribute, possession, and use of hashish.
On September 28, 2005, President Bush pardoned these drug offenders:
• Adam Wade Graham — conspiracy to deliver LSD
• Larry Paul Lenius — conspiracy to distribute cocaine
• Larry Lee Lopez — conspiracy to import marijuana
• Mark Lewis Weber — selling Quaalude tablets, selling, using and possessing marijuana
Bush also commuted the sentence of Phillip Anthony Emmert, who was serving time for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He also pardoned Jesse Ray Harvey, a United Mine Workers union member convicted of blowing up mines in West Virginia.
All those pardons (except the one commutation of sentence) were for people who already served their entire prison terms and are now out. I don't know the specifics of each case, and probably we never will, but generally these pardons are to remove the "felony" label because it prevents them from participating in society.
There are some jobs that are not open to felons. If the President is convinced that a person is rehabilitated (and the vetting is really done by the justice department and recommendations are sent and the President rarely take much personal involvement), a pardon acknowledges that there is no longer a reason to prevent the person from whatever it is they can't do (maybe a government contract job, or they want to be a police officer, or just they would like to vote).
wow...one has to really wonder... what is happening