A newly formed coalition of professional athletes and entertainers, led by retired boxer Mike Tyson, has sent a letter to President Donald Trump—thanking him for past clemency actions while emphasizing the opportunity he has to best former President Joe Biden by rescheduling marijuana, expanding pardons and freeing up banking services for licensed cannabis businesses.
The letter was signed by many athletes and entertainers, including NBA players Kevin Durant and Allen Iverson; NFL stars Dez Bryant and Antonio Brown; Ricky Williams and Wyclef Jean, as well the musicians Wyclef Jean and Ricky Williams.
“Today, people continue to serve lengthy federal sentences for conduct that is now legal in most states–which makes their continued incarceration not only cruel but absurd,” the letter says.
The coalition stated that “after making grand promises to 2020 voters, Biden has failed to fulfill his promise to tackle marijuana-related injustices.” Not only did he not commute the sentences of people incarcerated on marijuana charges, but as one of his last acts, he refused to grant clemency for nearly all marijuana-related applications.
They said inaction is a betrayal that, “underscores, to our minds, the urgency of bold leadership and offers an opportunity for corrections for glaring differences as part your Administration’s continued push for criminal justice Reform.”
Fox News first published the letter. It also mentions clemency measures Trump took during his first term. This includes pardoning Weldon Angleos for a marijuana-related conviction. Angelos, who was a cannabis-related conviction indicted man before he became a prominent reformer and advocate for clemency under both Biden’s administration as well as Trump’s, has become an influential reform advocate.
The coalition also argued that Trump must complete the move of marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to Schedule III, a process that began under the previous administration and has since stalled.
They said that marijuana’s classification as Schedule I is outdated scientifically, it has a negative economic impact, and goes against modern medical knowledge. The rescheduling of marijuana will harmonize federal and state laws, foster innovation, stimulate research, drive economic development, they said.
Tyson spoke separately about the issue of rescheduling in an interview that was published on The Dales Report Thursday. “I believe that I am right,” he said. [reclassifying cannabis is] possible—more possible than during the last administration.”
Alina Habba, the Acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina said she was “well-versed” in marijuana law and that the President is “very familiar with her.”
Tyson, along with Habba, recently toured a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lab—donning a DEA jacket as he promoted his marijuana brand’s commitment to safety and learned about fentanyl-related issues.
Tyson stated during the interview on Thursday that he believes “it’s an incredibly powerful, empowering revolution happening right now.” I think we are going to win. “I really believe it.”
This letter also speaks of the desire for reform in the cannabis industry to allow state-legal businesses to have access to financial services available to traditional markets.
It says that “State-legal marijuana operators have been denied access to banking services, despite compliance with the state laws.” The report states that despite operating in forty states and employing more than 450,000 Americans and earning over $35 billion per year, the businesses are denied banking services and employees have difficulty obtaining mortgages.
Cannabis businesses are not allowed to take the standard deductions for business, which can lead to tax rates that often exceed 85 percent. While U.S. markets such as NYSE, NASDAQ and NYSE offer foreign cannabis firms the opportunity to list, American cannabis businesses are excluded unfairly. We fully support your commitment to ‘work with Congress to pass common-sense laws, including safe banking,’ ensuring fair economic opportunities and equal access to financial services for all American businesses.”
The letter was also signed by NBA players Steven Jackson, Chris Webber and JR Smith as well as NFL stars Jim McMahon and Kyle Turley as well as Marvin Washington, Tony Richardson and Champ Bailey. Adin Ros, Paul Willias & Keith Thurmon as well as boxers Boyd Melson & Paul Willias signed on to the letter.
This comes days after Trump’s first pick for attorney general in the current administration, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), reiterated his own support for rescheduling cannabis—suggesting in an interview with a Florida Republican lawmaker that the GOP could win more of the youth vote by embracing marijuana reform.
The president supported the marijuana policy on the campaign trails. Since taking office, he has been silent publicly on this issue. Gaetz said last month that Trump’s endorsement of a Schedule III reclassification was essentially an attempt to shore up support among young voters rather than a sincere reflection of his personal views about cannabis.
A survey conducted by a GOP pollster affiliated with Trump that was released in April found that a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms, including rescheduling. They’re also more in favor of states being able to legalize cannabis without interference from the federal government than average voters.
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Trump chose former Florida Attorney-General Pam Bondi to lead the DOJ and Senate approved this choice. During her confirmation hearings, Bondi declined to say how she planned to navigate key marijuana policy issues. As attorney general of Florida, Bondi opposed the legalization of medical marijuana.
Adding to the uncertainty around the fate of the rescheduling proposal, Trump’s nominee to lead DEA, Terrance Cole, has previously voiced concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linked its use to higher suicide risk among youth.
During an in-person hearing before the Judiciary Committee in April, Cole said examining the rescheduling proposal will be “one of my first priorities” if he was confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move forward” on the stalled process—but again without clarifying what end result he would like to see.
DEA recently notified an agency judge that the proceedings are still on hold—with no future actions currently scheduled. The matter sat without action before an acting administrator, Derek Maltz, who has called cannabis a “gateway drug” and linked its use to psychosis. Maltz, who held the post until recently, has left.
Amid the stalled marijuana rescheduling process that’s carried over from the last presidential administration, congressional researchers recently reiterated that lawmakers could enact the reform themselves with “greater speed and flexibility” if they so choose, while potentially avoiding judicial challenges.
Trump’s Attorney General Pick suggests that legalizing marijuana could be a way for the Republican Party to win more voters, especially among young people.
Super Festivals provided the image.
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