Mike Tyson And Other Celebs Push Trump To Go Further On Marijuana Than Biden...

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 “Coalition of Athletes and Entertainers Supporting President Trump’s
Policy Objectives” also counts NBA’s Kevin Durant and Allen Iverson, NFL’s
Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown, Ricky Williams, the musician Wyclef Jean and
others among its members who signed onto the letter.

“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.

“After making sweeping promises to voters in 2020, former President Biden
failed to deliver on his pledge to address marijuana-related injustices,”
the coalition said. “Not only did he leave office without commuting the
sentences of those incarcerated for marijuana, but in one of his final
acts, he denied nearly every pending marijuana-related clemency
application.”

The athletes said that inaction reflects a “betrayal” that “underscores the
urgent need for bold leadership, we believe, and represents an opportunity
to correct glaring disparities as part of your Administration’s ongoing
push for criminal justice reform.”

The letter, first reported by Fox News, also notes clemency actions Trump
took in his first term, including the pardoning of Weldon Angelos over a
cannabis-related conviction. Angelos has since become a prominent reform
advocate who’s worked with both the Biden and Trump administrations to
expand clemency opportunities.

Further, the coalition made the case that Trump should finalize the process
of moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled
Substances Act (CSA) that was initiated under the last administration but
has since stalled out.

“Marijuana’s current classification as a Schedule I substance is
scientifically outdated, economically detrimental, and at odds with modern
medical understanding,” they said. “Rescheduling marijuana would harmonize
federal law with state policies, promote innovation, encourage research,
and drive economic growth.”

Tyson separately addressed the rescheduling issue during an interview
published by The Dales Report on Thursday. He said, “I have a strong belief
that [reclassifying cannabis is] possible—more possible than during the
last administration.”

The boxer also said that he feels Trump must be adequately informed about
marijuana policy, in part because Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of
New Jersey Alina Habba “is educated on this,” and she’s “very acquainted
with the president.”

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.

“I just believe that it’s a powerful, powerful revolution going on right
now,” Tyson said during Thursday’s interview. “I think we’re gonna win. I
really believe in it.”

The letter from the coalition of athletes additionally speaks to the
industry’s desire to enact reform allowing state-legal cannabis business to
access financial services afforded to other traditional markets.

“State-legal cannabis operators, including many of us, have also been
unjustly denied banking services despite full compliance with state law,”
it says. “Despite operating legally in 40 states, employing over 450,000
Americans, and generating more than $35 billion annually, these businesses
face unjust barriers to banking services, and their employees struggle to
obtain mortgages from traditional lenders.”

“Moreover, cannabis businesses cannot take standard business deductions,
leading to effective tax rates often exceeding 85 percent. While foreign
cannabis companies benefit from listings on U.S. exchanges, such as NYSE
and NASDAQ, American cannabis operators are unjustly excluded. 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.”

Other signatories on the letter include NBA’s Steven Jackson, Chris Webber,
JR Smith, John Salley and Al Harrington, as well as NFL’s Jim McMahon, Kyle
Turley, Champ Bailey, Marvin Washington and Tony Richardson. Boxers Boyd
Melson, Paul Willias and Keith Thurmon, as well as the streamer Adin Ross,
also put their names on 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.

On marijuana rescheduling, the president did endorse the policy change on
the campaign trail. But he’s been publicly silent on the issue since taking
office. 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. And, notably, they’re even more
supportive of allowing states to legalize marijuana without federal
interference compared to the average voter.


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Meanwhile, Trump picked former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) to
run DOJ, and the Senate confirmed that choice. During her confirmation
hearings, Bondi declined to say how she planned to navigate key marijuana
policy issues. And as state attorney general, she opposed efforts to
legalize medical cannabis.

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 has since left the position.

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.

Embracing Marijuana Legalization Could Help GOP Win Over More Young Voters,
Trump’s First Attorney General Pick Suggests

*Image element courtesy of Super Festivals.*

The post Mike Tyson And Other Celebs Push Trump To Go Further On Marijuana
Than Biden By Expanding Clemency And Enacting Rescheduling appeared first
on Marijuana Moment.