American Who Was Jailed In Russia For Medical Marijuana To Speak At Pro-Legalization Event After Being Freed By Trump Admin Deal

An American citizen who served years in a Russian prison over marijuana
possession before his release was secured by the Trump administration
earlier this year will be a featured speaker at a Pennsylvania cannabis
festival this coming weekend.

Marc Fogel will “make his first public appearance advocating for
legalization” at the 2025 Pennsylvania CannFest as state reform efforts
continue to heat up in the legislature, organizers said. They’ve also
invited Gov. Josh Shaprio (D), who supports legalization, to participate.

Prior to his incarceration in Russia, Fogel was a registered Pennsylvania
medical cannabis patient—a point repeatedly highlighted by bipartisan
congressional lawmakers as they urged executive action to ensure his safe
return to the U.S.

The State Department under former President Joe Biden eventually designated
Fogel as a “wrongfully detained” individual toward the end of his term,
after previously resisting the move. The American teacher was serving a
14-year sentence after being convicted of “drug smuggling” over possession
of a half-ounce of cannabis.

Ahead of his designation as wrongfully detained, there were repeated calls
for the diplomatic status change, including a letter sent to the Biden
administration by over a dozen members of Congress that emphasized that Fogel’s
access to marijuana was “necessary to subdue his pain.”

“Marc’s ordeal is a stark reminder of why Pennsylvania must modernize its
laws,” Trish Johnson, CFO of Zick Productions, which is organizing
CannFest, said in a press release. “Governor Shapiro’s leadership is
critical to ensuring no one else faces such injustice for using a substance
that is legal for medical purposes here and recreationally in neighboring
states.”

📷 Our blog is officially live – and we’re starting where it matters most:
Marc Fogel, Governor Shapiro, and the ongoing fight for reform in PA.
https://t.co/8Tn6P7q7xC

— CannFest (@CannFestival) September 26, 2025

The event, which runs from October 4-5, will also feature a “Marc Fogel
Lounge where patrons can enjoy the products from the festival.”

This marks the 11th year of the biannual festival, which is billed as “a
space where cannabis is embraced as a path to wellness, to empowerment, to
connection, and to a more open-minded, compassionate future,” Zick
Productions said.

“The event brings together an ever-growing movement of small businesses,
big brands, and visionaries who are reshaping how we understand health and
personal freedom—reminding us that progress requires people standing
together for something better,” the company said. “With this event, we hope
to draw those people to Berks County, all while supporting the local
economy with lodging, dining, and shopping.”

Reminiscent of Fogel’s experience, Brittney Griner—a U.S. professional
basketball player who was previously incarcerated in Russia over possession
of marijuana—was also set to attend a cannabis advocacy event earlier this
year. But she ultimately pulled out after discovering what she felt was a
threatening message in her hotel room.

In Pennsylvania, the years-long debate in the legislature over moving
forward with adult-use legalization continues.

Recently, a top aide to the governor said lawmakers should stop introducing
new competing marijuana legalization bills and instead focus on building
consensus on the issue—but emphasized that any measure that advances needs
to contain equity provisions if Shapiro is going to sign it into law.

Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), who serves as chair of the Senate Law and Justice
Committee, said last month that the House “needs to pass the language in my
[legalization] bill and send it to my committee” after which point he “can
negotiate with the Senate and the governor.”

The Democratic-controlled House, however, has already advanced a
legalization proposal this session that called for a state-run sales model.
That measure was quickly quashed in Laughlin’s Senate committee, however,
with the GOP lawmaker and others insisting that a more traditional approach
of licensing privates businesses would have a better shot.

Laughlin separately said recently that supporters are “picking up votes” to
enact the reform this session.

Shapiro, for his part, said last month that he won’t “concede” on his plan
to legalize adult-use cannabis through the budget.

Meanwhile, the leading Republican candidate in the race to become the next
governor of Pennsylvania dodged a question about her stance on legalizing
marijuana—saying she doesn’t have a “policy position” on the issue and
arguing that the sitting governor’s proposal for reform “way, way
overstated” potential revenue.

The candidate, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), pointed to
neighboring Ohio, which launched its own adult-use cannabis market this
year, saying “they generated about $115 million in revenue.” And while the
populations of both states are relatively comparable, Shapiro’s budget projected
$536.5 million in cannabis revenue in the first fiscal year of
implementation.

She did, however, say that if Pennsylvania moves forward on enacting the
reform, she’ll “make sure that it’s banked appropriately.”

Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania Democratic senator recently said that federal
marijuana rescheduling—which Trump said he’d be making a decision on
imminently—would be “very influential” in advancing legalization in his
state, giving “political cover” to GOP members on the fence about reform.

Sen. Sharif Street (D) discussed the status of cannabis legalization
efforts in the Keystone State, including a bipartisan proposal to end
prohibition that he filed alongside Laughlin in July.


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The legalization bill with a state-run sales model that passed the House
isn’t necessarily dead for the session as a vehicle to advance reform,
however. And Democrats in the chamber recently called on voters to pressure
state senators to sign off on the cannabis measure, arguing that it would
benefit health and safety and bring in billions of dollars in revenue for
the commonwealth.

Polls have shown bipartisan support for legalization among voters, but the
reform has consistently stalled in the legislature, due largely to GOP
opposition. But not all Republican members are against the policy
change—and one recently said she felt her party should seize the
“opportunity to snatch” the issue from Democrats.

In addition to pushback from Senate Majority Leader Pittman, another
Republican, Sen. Scott Martin, who chairs the influential Appropriations
Committee, said earlier this month that he didn’t plan to move on any
adult-use legalization bills.

Separately, just days after Laughlin and Street filed their measure, Reps.
Emily Kinkead (D) and Abby Major (R)—alongside eight other cosponsors—filed
legislation in the House to enact the reform. The pair have previously championed
other proposals to end prohibition.

Laughlin and 16 other lawmakers also recently filed a separate bill to
create a new regulatory body in the state that would begin overseeing
medical cannabis while preparing to eventually handle the adult-use market as
well.

Separately, a recent poll found that Pennsylvania voters say they favor a
model where cannabis is sold by licensed private businesses rather than
through a system of state-run stores.

Meanwhile, a Democratic lawmaker recently filed a bill that seeks to require
employers to cover the costs of medical cannabis for qualifying patients
receiving workers’ compensation.

*Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.*

The post American Who Was Jailed In Russia For Medical Marijuana To Speak
At Pro-Legalization Event After Being Freed By Trump Admin Deal appeared
first on Marijuana Moment.